Up to 10,000 took to the streets in London, with 2,000 marching in Glasgow and 700 marching in Cardiff, over the weekend of 19 & 20 March on #MarchAgainstRacism demonstrations, part of the #WorldAgainstRacism global day of protest for UN Anti Racism Day 2022. Demonstrations and protests took place across around 60 cities and 20 countries, with key demands around #AllRefugeesWelcome and #BlackLivesMatter being raised across the world. You can see the statement and map of movements that held protests here
Many of the speakers across the platform of #MarchAgainstRacism here in Britain highlighted, in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine and millions of refugees fleeing the war, the racism that was being faced by Black and Asian people at the borders as they were turned away. They also drew attention to the hypocrisy of many establishment figures who have talked of the shock of war in a “civilised society”, and speakers also pointed to the stark contrast of attitude and response to black and ethnic minority refugees who have fled wars in the present and past. Another key theme raised by many speakers was solidarity with Child Q in wake of the horrific racist strip searching of a school student by police and the outcry of rage in response.
The #MarchAgainstRacism demonstrations were called by Stand Up To Racism and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and back by nearly all major trade unions. In the build up to the demonstrations, #MarchAgainstRacism and #AllRefugeesWelcome trended in a TUC backed Twitterstorm to publicise the marches with huge support from unions, campaigns and anti racists including from national, regional and Equalities accounts for the TUC, STUC, WTUC, Unite, Unison, NEU, FBU, PCS, RMT, CWU, NASUWT, UCU, NUJ, EIS, USDAW, TSSA, NAPO, BFAWU, GMB, as well as organisations and campaigns including Refugee Council and Scottish Refugee Council, Care4Calais, Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC), Stop The War, the People’s Assembly, People Before Profit, Peace and Justice Project, Daymer, Muslim Public Affairs Committee, SACU, Equality 4 Black Nurses, Black Liberation Alliance, the Africa Centre, Carribean Labour Solidarity, GR8 and Drive2Survive Gypsy Roma Traveller campaigns, NHS campaigns, United Yemini Community Scotland, Campaign Against Climate Change, London XR and various local XR and Cop26 groups, and many others.
This support was reflected on the marches and on the platforms of the rallies. It was fantastic to have two of the marches led off by Drive2Survive travellers and their horses. Opposition to the Policing Bill and the Nationality and Borders Bill was strongly expressed. Blocs included climate justice, refugees welcome, no to islamophobia, Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities, football fans against racism, students, Love Music Hate Racism and trade unions.
A list of speakers who joined the rallies is below, with some highlighted videos of speeches from Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Michael Rosen and union general secretaries Kevin Courtney of the NEU and Matt Wrack of the FBU.
LONDON SPEAKERS:
Sabby Dhalu & Weyman Bennett Stand Up To Racism co convenors, Wilf Sullivan TUC Race Equality Officer, Enver Solomon CEO Refugee Council, Chantelle Lunt Merseyside BLM, Aman Ali MEND, Clare Mosely Care4Calais, David Rosenberg Jewish Socialist Group, Mejindarpal Kaur Sikh Council, Virgil Bitu GR8, Shelly Asquith, Stop The War Coalition, Jake Bowers Drive2Survive, Bhavini Patel, Extinction Rebellion, Ahammed Hussain MPACUK, Krzysia Balinska POMOC, Ebrima & Millicent Unite Barts Health strikers, Asad Rehman War on Want, Aidan Stop Asian Hate, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi Jewish Voice for Labour, Bella RMT migrant worker striker, Maz Saleem, daughter of Mohammed Saleem, Sukhdev Reel, mother of Ricky Rell – statement, Patrick Vernon campaigner, Ramona McCartney People’s Assembly, Marvina Newton United For Black Lives
2pm Roll Deep (Rikodan, Flodan & DJ Karnage) performing at Parliament Square as march arrives
Parliament Square rally (2.30pm – 3.30pm)
Comperes: Sabby Dhalu Stand Up To Racism coconvenor & Nahella Ashraf Stand Up To Racism North West
Matt Wrack FBU general secretary, Weyman Bennett Stand Up To Racism co convenor, Jermaine Jackman winner of The Voice, Bell Ribeiro Addy MP, Michael Rosen poet & author, Gloria Mills Unison Head of Equalities, Richard Burgon MP, Ukrainian refugee, Fahim Pashtoon Wardag, Afghan Human Rights Foundation, Frances O’Grady TUC general secretary, Kevin Courtney, NEU general secretary, Diane Abbott MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Zita Holbourne PCS Vice President, Paula Peters, DPAC, Jennifer Moses, NASUWT National Official, Steve Hedley RMT assistant general secretary, Vicky Blake UCU president, Ragad Altikriti MAB president, Ricky Jones TSSA BAME lead organiser
GLASGOW SPEAKERS:
Comperes: Talat Ahmed, Stand Up To Racism Scotland convenor and STUC Black Workers Committee, and Pinar Aksu, SUTR and human rights activist
Tabassum Niamat (Kenmure St resident involved in stopping the deportations), Aamer Anwar (lawyer of Sheku Bayoh’s family), Khadija Mohammed (STUC Black Workers Committee), Robina Qureshi (Positive Action in Housing), Roz Foyer (STUC general secretary), Sabir Zazai (Scottish Refugee Council chief executive), Rakiya Suleiman (Unison Scotland black members chair), Humza Yousaf (SNP MSP for Glasgow Pollok), Lena Wånggren (UCU Scotland president), Andrene Bamford (EIS president elect), Linsay Taylor (Muslim Engagement & Development), Maurice Naftalin (Scottish Council of Jewish Communities), Fayrouz Kraish (Unite Scotland), Jane Peckham (NASUWT deputy general secretary), Paul Sweeney (Labour MSP for Glasgow region), Gordon Martin (RMT Scotland organiser), Rahela Cirpaci (Romano Lav), Scott Hartles (CWU Scotland), Liz McGachey (PCS Scotland committee vice chair), Colin Brown (FBU Scotland), Mohammad Asif (Afghan Human Rights Foundation director), Gary Kelly (TSSA Scotland organiser), Ruby Hirsch (Stand Up to Racism)
Plus performances by Love Music Hate Racism: Claire Torrance, Adnan Shamdin and Romane Ciernia
London photo gallery:
Glasgow photo gallery:
Cardiff photo gallery:
#WorldAgainstRacism International demonstrations photo gallery:
