United Nations Anti Racism Day
On Saturday 20th March there will be worldwide protests to mark the United Nations Anti-Racism Day. It is important to be vigilant against the growing threat of racism and fascism in our society. In recent years we have seen the rise of right-wing populism with Trump, Orban in Hungary and Bolsanaro in Brazil. These leaders have created division and hate leading to minority groups living in fear. In the USA, the Black community have had a long history of injustice, prejudice and barbaric cruelty inflicted upon them. They have had the monstrous system of slavery, lynching in the early 20th century and thousands killed by police bullets. In the UK we have ongoing institutional racism, racist murders of Stephen Lawrence, Anthony Walker, many others and the deaths of hundreds of black men in police custody.
In the United States, the killing of George Floyd by the police was caught on camera and the images sent shock waves across the world. The Black Lives Matter movement responded with protests that erupted in cities across the globe from Washington DC to Manchester. These anti-racist protests despite the restrictions on protest in the coronavirus pandemic became bigger than the Civil Rights movements of the 1960’s.
The UK has a long history of resistance to racism and fascism. Moseley and his fascist brown shirts were politically defeated in the 1930’s by a united front of trade unionists, the Jewish Community in East London and parties of the left in the Battle of Cable Street. The National Front was seen off in the 1970s by a combination of both cultural and political forces with the help of the Anti-Nazi League and Rock Against Racism. The British National Party was put in its place by Unite Against Fascism. Tommy Robinson and the English Defence League were wiped away from the political map by Stand up to Racism and other anti-racist campaign groups like Hope Not Hate and Searchlight. Tommy Robinson had hoped to become an MEP here in the North West. Without the hard work of anti- racist and anti-fascist organisations this extremely dangerous fascist would have been elected.
Even though the human rights of being allowed to protest are being currently repressed by the Government, it is important to protest safely and anywhere that we can. Anti-racists activists will have TakeTheknee virtual protests on Saturday 20th March from 1 and 2pm wherever they are and a Twitter storm will take place also at the same time.
Further details for the days events can be found here:
Facebook: tinyurl.com/SUTR21y
Website: standuptoracism.org.uk
Twitter: @AntiRacismDay
Please make every effort to participate in some way.
