Over 150 people attended a North East Stand Up To Racism/Newcastle Unites demonstration last Saturday, in Newcastle city centre. They were opposing the Veterans Against Terrorism (VAT) group, who claimed to be protesting against a “recent upsurge” in terror attacks. The latter attracted 350 from across the regions and from as far as London and Scotland. The reality is VAT focus on Islamist attacks only and not on people such as Darren Osborne, the Finsbury Park murderer.
Football Lads Alliance (FLA) supporters were present and made up half of the march.
VAT say they are an organisation for serving, ex-military and emergency services personnel and formed after the Manchester Arena, bomb atrocity. They claim not to be far right, however, Toni Bugle, ex member of the fascist English Democrats again spoke for VAT spoke on the day. So too did Richard Inman, who supports ex EDL leader, Tommy Robinson. Inman has said that the “entire Muslim religion is antichrist”.
Long established forces like the Royal British Legion (RBl ) and Help for Heroes, to their credit, have distanced themselves from the group. This may be as Stand Up To Racism has alerted both organisations as to the nature of VAT. For instance, Help for Heroes said it isn’t involved with VAT as it goes against its charitable objectives.
As Unite Against Fascism and Stand Up To Racism revealed recently, an FLA organiser ‘appreciated’ support from notorious, EDL thugs, in the run up to the march, http://uaf.org.uk/2018/02/football-lads-alliance-speaker-appreciates-ex-edlbnp-thugs-promotion-of-veterans-against-terrorism-demonstration/
Ex EDL members were present on the Veterans march and were not turned away. A number of FLA people broke away from the VAT rally and tried to confront SUTR members. Known local, football hooligans were present, including some from London and Scotland.
Weyman Bennett, national convener for Stand Up to Racism, said: “We want peace but we are here because of those people who want to sow the seeds of division and hatred. People are being used by a section of the far right, for the latter’s own, nefarious reasons.”
In contrast to the #islamophobia present on the VAT march, anti racists rallied and marched in the city. Speakers included an NEC member from the college workers’ union, UCU, the teachers’ NEU union, the local TUC, Weyman Bennett and the youngest councillor in Britain,Sharifah Rahman. She made an impassioned speech, and ended, saying, “On March 17th in London, lets have a full coach from here, to say racists like those we are marching against today, must be stopped”.
The VAT march pulled in those who are not fascists but are worried by recent terror attacks. Stand Up to Racism will continue to campaign against the islamophobia that drives groups such as VAT and their FLA backers.
