Saying No to Racism!

asssembling at Oxford Circus

By New Worker correspondent

 

London comrades joined the thousands of people who marched through central London, from Portland Place to Whitehall, to protest against the rising tide of racism and fascism, as symbolised by organisations such as the Football Lads Alliance and the English Defence League.

The demonstration was called by Stand Up to Racism, Unite Against Fascism and Love Music Hate Racism, with the support of a number of unions and community groups as well as senior members of Labour’s Corbyn leadership.

Members of the London Metropolitan cell of the New Communist Party joined the march and sold some New Workers at the demonstration that attracted anti-fascists and activists from all over London and beyond. Seen on the march were hammer and sickle red banners including one with Marx, Lenin and Stalin, as well as Brazilian and South African flags. Unfortunately there was also a European Union  flag, which reflected the mistaken view of the soft-left and liberals that the EU is some sort of bastion of progress and anti-fascism.

The march ended with a rally in Whitehall that was addressed by Len McCluskey from Unite, FBU's Matt Wrack, Kevin Courtney of the National Education Union, Zita Holbourne from the PCS civil service union, Mick Cash of the RMT, Lowkey the rapper, Bilou from the Grenfell Tower campaign and 1970s rock star Tom Robinson – who was introduced as the real ‘Tommy Robinson’ as opposed to Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who uses that name in honour of a well-known Luton Town football hooligan and to avoid using his obviously middle-class name in front of his racist followers.

Lowkey made an excellent speech saying that racism and fascism benefit the one per cent. Bilou spoke with anger about the recent disgusting incident in south London in which a model of the Grenfell Tower was burnt on a bonfire.

A small counter-demonstration of probably no than 15 fascists (your correspondent saw about six or so) was escorted by police up the other side of Whitehall. Afterwards the degenerates ensconced themselves in a pub to no doubt emulate Hitler’s Beer Cellar putsch. The pub was protected by a cordon of police in riot gear plus two lines of mounted police, which just goes to show that the police protect fascists and are definitely not neutral!