Never forget Palestine!

by New Worker correspondent

"British complicity in the dispossession and mass murder of Palestinians is not only a story of the past—it is still the reality today" said Ryvka Barnard, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Deputy Director, on Nakba Day as hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through central London to highlight the ongoing impact of the 1948 partition of Palestine, the first Arab-Israeli war and the expulsion of nearly a million Palestinian Arabs from their homes in what is now Israel. The Stand Up to Racism movement joined the demonstration, combining it with an anti-fascist protest against a nearby “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by a racist and supporter of the State of Israel who calls himself “Tommy Robinson”. Some 250,000 people joined the Palestine march that takes place every month in London while the Robinson rally was said to have drawn around 40,000 to its rally in Trafalgar Square.

Racist Christmas stunt flops

by New Worker correspondent

Last weekend little more than a thousand people turned up to hear Tommy Robinson and his kind put “Christ back in Christmas” – a far cry from the 100,000 or so who supported  Robinson’s “unite the kingdom” rally in September. Hymn sheets were handed out to the crowd while other sold England flags and Santa hats. But Rowan Williams, the retired archbishop of Canterbury, warned of the potential “weaponisation” of events, and said the Church of England must be “absolutely clear” that the true Christian message was one of compassion and welcome to all.
The man who calls himself “Tommy Robinson” – who has recently returned from a Zionist propaganda tour of Israel – is trying to introduce American-style “Christian” nationalism into the UK.  At his carol service in central London his told his followers that this involves "drawing attention to unchecked immigration and the fading of our cultural heritage". Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told the crowd he used to “hate the church” but says he met a pastor in prison who taught him about the Bible. 
Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) said “Robinson’s event got nowhere near the big numbers he predicted today. While there is absolutely no room for complacency, it shows that Tommy Robinson's momentum can be broken. Now let’s go all out to build a massive ‘Together against the far right’ demo on Saturday 28th March”.
One of the SUTR leaders, Weyman Bennett,  said, “We have to oppose fascism and what the Nazis stand for”. Slamming Robinson’s “false Christianity”, he said, “Robinson is closer to Satan than he is to Christ. Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, I was told Satan comes into the world full of lies and division.
“When they come with lies, we will stand up and resist. They told me to turn the other cheek. But I’ve run out of cheeks. I have to turn to resistance to walk the streets. 
“We have to learn from the Anti Nazi League. Nazis can’t pray and they can’t dance. They have no culture, they have no history – we have that, we are the majority
“We have to remember those lessons. That’s why I’m proud of the Together Alliance for calling the unity demonstration on 28th March. We are going to fill London”.

Standing up to racism in London!

by New Worker correspondent

Thousands of people took to the streets of London last weekend to protest against a far-right march in favour of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the jailed racist who calls himself “Tommy Robinson”. Some five thousand anti-racists rallied in central London for the protest organised by Stand Up to Racism that was supported by the TUC, 17 trade unions, and a coalition of faith groups, national campaigns and Labour and Green politicians. 
The far-right demonstration, some 5,000 or so “football lads” and third-rate fascists – was a fraction of the 25,000 that marched at their most recent mobilisation in October. Eyewitness reports suggest infighting and rowing amongst the far right demonstrators. Anti racists argue this reflects tensions within the far-right camp, such as the distance Nigel Farage has attempted to create between his Reform Party and Robinson’s street movement, as well as other pressures amongst these far right groupings and individuals.
Eyewitnesses at the far right demo say they heard Islamophobic chants while Howard Cox, a former Reform Party London mayoral candidate, called for unity between the Faragists and Robinson’s followers, and echoed Trump’s release of the Capitol Hill rioters by calling for the release of all the August far right rioters in Britain. Another  speaker said “round them up and kick them out” and “start the deportation programme for those who refuse to assimilate”.
With the racists threatening to mobilise again on 22nd  March, Stand Up To Racism is only the more determined to turn our day of protest as part of the international World Against Racism day of action into a serious anti-racist mobilisation to continue to take on the far right and oppose them.
Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of Stand Up to Racism, said “Today we might not have brought the 20,000 strong demonstration we delivered in October, but with a much shorter turn around time and so early in the new year we are feeling energised, encouraged and determined in the fight to drive back the threat of the far right and fascists after today’s impressive showing.
“To see their numbers plummet so dramatically to something like a quarter of what they put on the streets in the autumn – it shows both the weakness and divisions on their side, and it shows we can continue to build a strong united force that can keep bringing to pressure to dissipate, demoralise and defeat them.
“This will take an enormous and ongoing effort, and a real seriousness – we must not be complacent. But take hope from today – what we do matters, we can, if we bring consistent pressure from a broad and united movement taking action – and we can turn this tide.
“In the week of Holocaust Memorial Day, we must remember the lessons of the 1930s. We cannot repeat the history that will lead to more future generations repeating the question: ‘But why didn’t everyone do something?’ – a united movement that exposes and opposes the fascists and calls out the racist swamp they operate in can stop them”.