Less than 3 weeks to go until what is set to be the biggest antiracist & antifascist demo in a generation, organised by the Together alliance – against the far right.
Last week saw a fantastic antifascist mobilisation in Bristol, a successful unity demo in Birmingham, launch meetings and events for Women Against the Far Right and a powerful workplace day of action to build the Together demo.
In Manchester the launch of Together was marred by an attempted attack on the new Green MP Hannah Spencer. Hannah has become a hate figure for the far right after defeating Reform in the Gorton & Denton by-election. It’s a reminder that we have to come together from all parts of the movement – because they threaten our whole movement!
This Saturday (14 March) will see the community/city/town centre day of action for Together and the build up to important antifascist events such as the mobilisation against fascist UKIP in Liverpool on Satturday 21 March.
Reform UK are set to make breakthroughs in May’s elections, fascist Tommy Robinson has already called his next Unite the Kingdoms demo on Saturday 16 May. We need to go all out to make 28 March a massive success and use it as a platform to comat Reform at the ballot box and Robinson and Co on the streets.
Help us build that movement – join – donate
Birmingham
An excellent International Women’s Day Unity march against the right today in Birmingham. It was vibrant, angry and determined. There was a strong showing from the NEU with three local banners.
All the speakers, including Salma Yaqoob and Steve Richards from the regional TUC, urged people to get to London for the 28 March Together demonstration. Today showed the energy that we need to flow through the 28th.
Well done the Midlands!
An excellent counterprotest in Bristol!
We played a blinder in Bristol! Our side was bigger than have been for a while at 400 to 500. The Far right dwindled from usual 40 to 50 to about 20.
There was a brilliant stewarding operation meant we totally out manoeuvred the police. And therefore stopped the far right from marching!
**** Breaking News! It seems the “Bristol Patriots” have collapsed – shutting their social media and complaining that elements that don’t fit their mission have come on to their demo, that is, hard core Nazis.
Good riddance to them all. Probably they will regroup but a victory for now!
Counter Protests
Edinburgh
Anti-racists are shocked and appalled that a group of anti-immigration protesters gathered at The Calders in Edinburgh on Friday evening to intimidate local residents.
This event was organised following the stabbing incident that took place earlier in the week. As we have previously stated, we are deeply concerned by that incident. We emphasise again that our thoughts are with the victims and everyone in the community affected by this violence.
Far right activists and politicians predictably exploited this incident, pushing racism and division. Rumours and distorted accounts were deliberately spread using social media in order to inflame tensions. In the days leading up to Friday’s events, local people had been subjected to heightened racism and Islamophobic graffiti.
The gathering on Friday evening was far from the peaceful demonstration of concerned residents it was billed as.
This racist anti-immigration protest was promoted and planned by well known far-right agitators throughout Scotland, keen to exploit local fears for their own interests.
Far-right thugs from Aberdeen’s Unite the Clans, west coast Protectors of Scotland and others from Falkirk and beyond, attended the protest, intent on fomenting violence.
In the absence of an hotel to attack, they focused on a local anti-racist protest. The mob turned on a group of anti-racists who were objecting to their efforts to exploit the stabbing, throwing eggs, glass bottles and golf balls at them.
To our knowledge, none of the racist thugs have been arrested for this.
We will not tolerate racism and division in our communities. That’s why, on 21st March, the people of Edinburgh and beyond will stand together to stop the far-right, reject hate and racism, and say loud and clear that refugees are welcome here.
On that day, white supremacist neo-nazi groups are threatening to descend on Edinburgh in a racist ‘unite the clans’ event. In contrast, we will show that the majority of people are anti-racist.
We will remind everyone that Scotland is a safe, welcoming, friendly and diverse community. We are determined to ensure it stays that way.
Wolverhampton – the city of sanctuary
Today in Wolverhampton we gave the far right a hot reception & let them know very clearly that their hate will not be tolerated within our communities.
Thank you to all those who attended & showed what our community is really all about.
Oxford
Women Against the Far Right and Stand Up To Racism stood up to Oxfordshire Patriots attempts to push a racist narrative about sexual violence towards women outside Oxford Crown Court this morning.
Oxfordshire Patriots exposed their own abusive behaviour by gaslighting women counter protesters by falsely claiming we were there to defend the alleged attacker. Their protest failed to draw the support of a single woman. There’s was clearly a racist protest – their only slogan was “Stop the boats.”
We support justice for all victims of sexual violence irrespective of the ethnicity of the abuser. The far right racialising sexual violence undermines real justice for victims.
Isle of Wight
Hate is not Welcome Here’ and ‘Farage is Trump’s Puppet’ were on the signs of anti-racism activists gathered outside Robin Hill this afternoon in protest at Nigel Farage’s visit to the Isle of Wight today (Monday, March 9).
Reform UK was called “dangerous, divisive and racist” at the demonstration, organised by the Island branch of Stand up to Racism hours before the party’s rally at GG’s Bar and Restaurant near Newport.
Women Against The Far Right
Edinburgh
On International Women’s Day in Edinburgh, Women Against the Far Right Scotland showed up in numbers!
Women and non-binary people took to the streets on mass, marching through Edinburgh demanding our voices be heard!
We are women, we can fight, we don’t need the fascist right! 📣
Thank you to everyone today who joined our bloc and organised this amazing event. Together we show what community looks like!
Join us in London on March 28th at the Women Against the Far Right Bloc on the Together Against the Far Right Alliance March
Liverpool
The sold out room of over 100 Women Against the Far Right Liverpool & Region had a successful launch full of enthusiasm to unite and build the movement against the far right, especially to oppose the UKIP “walk with Jesus” this 21st of March in Liverpool, the Women led 28th Together Alliance march in London and the following campaigns to come against Reform on the run up to the May elections.
It was amazing to hear the voices of working class women on the panel and the floor from all walks of life and struggle to come together, be heard and be organised!
Thank you for everyone that came. Also a big thank you to everyone who made the event happen. Please sign the open letter if you haven’t alteady and watch this space for more updates on actions to come. Solidarity and love, WAFR
Women Against the Far Right Merseyside marched on International Women’s Day through the Liverpool City today, bold with an anticapitalist message demanding justice for victims of oppression by the ruling class, standing in solidarity of the victims of the Epstein files, of war and imperialism.
A number of women confirmed they were attending the launch tomorrow Mon 9th March and we also built for the Women led Together Alliance on the 28th March.
Oxford
Oxford Women Against the Far Right held a fantastic evening discussing the central role women have played in fighting fascism past and present to mark International Women’s Day.
Speakers addressed the far right threat to women, and how this intersects with their racism, and the need to resist both. They also mentioned inspirational women such as Ida B Wells and Sara Wesker. Speaker Kwabena Devonish pointed out that “Fascism doesn’t come out of nowhere”, and spoke about how misogyny and racism needs to be countered in mainstream politics too.
The evening opened with some poetry readings and ended with songs themed around unity and standing up to misogyny. We also displayed images and text of anti-fascist women through history.
A key focus of the meeting was mobilising for the Together Women’s bloc on March 28th. Please join us.
Hastings
WAFR banner unveiled at the Women’s Voice event today
Million Women Rise demo in London on Saturday
Nottingham
Rally at end of Nottingham International Women’s Day Women Against the Far Right march – about 100 on it and much chanting. General opinion a really good event following NEU vigil and speakers against Domestic violence and now at a busy Femme fest in Sneiton Market – looks like this could become an annual event!
Building Together
Greater Manchester
A big thank to over 170 people who attended the GM Launch Rally of TOGETHER today in Piccadilly Gardens.
We had fantastic speeches from a wide range of speakers including trade unionists, environmentalists, community activists and elected representatives.
We were united in our opposition to hatred and division and in our desire to live together respecting all cultures.
We all agreed to encourage the largest possible mobilisation from Greater Manchester to join the TOGETHER against the Far Right demonstration in London on the 28th of March.
The final speaker of the Rally was the newly elected MP for Gorton & Denton, Hannah Spencer. She summed up the mood saying :
“The establishment’s only goal is to turn us against each other. We refuse to be divided! By getting TOGETHER, by sticking TOGETHER, by working TOGETHER and standing
TOGETHER we will overcome the politics of division and despair”.
We are asking everyone to support TOGETHER stalls across Greater Manchester on the National Day of Action on Saturday 14th March.
We will also be asking you to join leafleting of public events across the area.
At the end of this event Green MP was attacked by extreme transphobes and far right figures. She was defended by stewards but was hurried away in a Police car. This shows the danger of these roving bands of far right agitators masquerading as “citizen journalists”.
North of England
Chesterfield
We set off from Town Hall, took our beautiful banner for a walk around town centre. Stopped 5 times, had 4 different speakers, gave out 100s of postcards for M28 and WAFR leaflets. 25 people involved, lots of positive responses.
Wakefield
WAFR / SUTR had a stall in town. We leafleted for 28th & handed out daffodils with anti racist & pro Palestine messages attached for IWD. Generally well-received & some very positive conversations, both in relation to 28th & to our upcoming counter-demo next Saturday. But no photo because we forgot.
York
Workplace day of action for Together in York. Early morning leafleting at the hospital. Delivered leaflets inside the council buildings to every desk and put posters on all the notice boards.
Leafleted outside the university library at lunch time. Very positive morning, health workers took batches into the hospital for staff rooms. A lot of the staff in the council knew about the march and lots of interes
Derby
Leafleting for TOGETHER at Royal Derby as part of Workplace Day of Action
Manchester Met Uni
Together Alliance action day at universities!
Leicester
Leicester IWD supports March 28th
Leicester Together Alliance mobilising meeting
London
TUC
TUC Women 2026 delegates taking part in today’s #TOGETHER workplace day of action to mobilise for a historic trade union bloc on the #28March #M28 major unity demonstration in London
Hackney
Great Workplace Day of Action in Hackney. We are growing!
Really pleased to report that we had more workplace activity in Hackney than last month. We involved more people, and activity took place in more places. In addition, people undertook visiting places where we have fewer contacts and there is little trade union organisation! These included:
- Leafleting at Homerton Hospital, both at the gates and inside by Homerton Against the Far Right
- Joint leafleting by Hackney UNISON and the NEU at the Service Centre behind the town hall. We organised a stall downstairs and then three of us leafleted the upstairs offices – and had a great reception
- Several schools have been involved in activity, including leafleting, banner making and a visit by SUTR national convenor Weyman Bennett.
- Leafleting at New City College (Hackney) – again, both from the outside and by staff inside
- Visiting the local bus garage
- One person leafleted Kingsland Road and Haggerston Community Centre, as well as visiting some shops, businesses, GP surgeries and Pharmacies
- Another person went to the Post Office, Dalston Kingsland station, some pubs, bars and the Rio cinema and the CWU on East Bank, as well as Ashwin street delivery drivers. In addition, they dropped in on Dalston Junction – and learned word had already been spread on the Windrush and Elizabeth lines
- Leaflets were dropped off at St Mungo’s homelessness charity and hostel
In addition, one of our members organised a banner for Women Against the Far Right, which she took to the One million Women march on Saturday
Islington
Islington Unison supporting the Together Alliance demo on 28th March.
UCU reps going out around the staff rooms building for the Together 28th March demo at City and Islington college, Camden Rd site.
Stoke Newington
The school marked the day of action against racism by having a lunchtime meeting with Weyman Bennett co convenor of Stand up to Racism
Whitechapel
We had a mass leafletting at the key crossing point in Whitechapel for London Hospital workers and town hall workers. Having the table,
Megaphone and 10 leafleters meant the uptake of leaflets was much better than usual.
We then had breakfast and went round to the main sorting office to catch up with the CWU branch secretary to make sure leaflets get round the sorting offices in Tower Hamlets! An excellent morning !
South Of England
Crawley
Leafletting for the Together March today in Crawley
Harlow
Fantastic Harlow LMHR gig last night. About 80 people there and around £700 raised for the struggle. Thanks to Gary Mac for his brilliant speech too
Oxford
Nurses at Warneford hospital in Oxford showing their support for Together march.
Haringey
Gladesmore Community School, Haringey is ballot ready and marching on the 28th
CWU
Great to see CWU Members supporting the Workplace Day of Action.
Trade unionists know that we are always stronger TOGETHER!
RMT
Good branch meeting today — excellent political report from John McDonnell MP.
Monitoring Group Overview
A huge amount of antiracist activity this week, a number of successful counter protests notably in Wolverhampton, Isle of Wight and Oxford – with Southampton carrying on having to counter weekly – but to falling numbers on the far right side.
Bristol was a high point though with hundreds of antiracists/antifascists taking to the streets and stopping the dwindling number of racists marching. So successful was this that the group that organised the far right protests, The Bristol Patriots, have announced they are closing down!
International Women’s day saw Women Against The Far Right banners on marches from Edinburgh to Cardiff including the fantastic IWD Unity demonstration in Birmingham. The march was full of anger, energy and enthusiasm for building March 28th!
Good to see all the workplace activity in schools, colleges, other workplaces and trade union groups building for the 28th. There was also a large number of street activities across the country, handing out leaflets and postering for the demo.
More worrying however was the anti immigrant protest in Edinburgh where anti racists were attacked by people that are know Nazis. Edinburgh will be rallying with a Unity demonstration on 21 March.
Also concerning was the attack on newly elected Green MP Hannah Spencer in Manchester. Hannah had taken part in an event to build the Together march and was attacked by extreme transphobes and far right figures. It’s an indication of the growing extremism of the far right. This has seen street nazis flocking to Restore Britain.
We wait to see if they will be organising street activities under the Restore banner. The Nazi Ryan Ferguson was seen in Bristol this weekend again proudly telling all that he was a Nazi.
The Crowborough anti asylum protest was large again this week and saw the odious Katie Hopkins marching and speaking. Anti racists in the area are continuing to build material support for the asylum seekers and to gather their forces.
The large amount of activities announced by the increasingly comical Richard Donaldson and Great British Protest seem to have totally failed to materialise.
Activist should be looking forward to building the next day of action on the 14th March in preparation for the big day on the 28th!
Forthcoming Events
Next weekend will see the launch of Together Alliance In Wales on Saturday 14th at Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.