Press release from Leeds Stand Up to Racism (SUTR):
Celebrate and defend multicultural Leeds on Saturday 7 July – meet 12.30 Leeds Town Hall steps, Headrow, LS1 3AD
This Saturday 7th July, supporters of the fascist Tommy Robinson and the far-right Yorkshire Patriots groups are coming to Leeds in two separate mobilisations to try and use the anniversary of the tragic London bombings in 2005 to whip up racism and Islamophobia.
Following Tommy Robinson’s arrest and jailing in Leeds for contempt of court after livestreaming outside an ongoing trial, the city has become a focus for his supporters and the wider far-right. In June, his supporters marched through Leeds and some were heard to chant “Muslims off our streets”. A week later there were two arson attacks on a mosque and a Sikh gurdwara in Beeston in the south of Leeds. The local community responded magnificently and organised with Leeds Stand Up to Racism for a peace march to the affected mosque and gurdwara to show solidarity with the majority who are opposed to racism and fascism in their area.
As Len McCluskey, General Secretary of UNITE the union, noted in The Mirror today, on the eve of their national conference,
“the peddlers of prejudice” will be marching in Leeds this Saturday and have to be opposed.
Leeds Stand Up to Racism has organised a rally and march to celebrate and defend our multicultural city and say racists and fascists are not welcome here this Saturday, which is supported by Yorkshire and the Humber TUC, and regional branches of UNITE, GMB, Unison, NEU (NUT), NASUWT, NAPO, UCU and PCS, as well as Unite Against Fascism.
Leeds Stand Up to Racism have also issued a statement which also received wide-ranging support. The statement noted, among other things, that:
”The atmosphere created by the far right and Robinson supporters is toxic. Whenever fascists march and mobilise; violence and racism follow in their wake. Robinson and his supporters have been attempting to build the kind of mass far right street movements that we have seen across much of Europe … We can’t let racists and fascists march through our city without facing mass opposition from the anti-racist majority. We are that majority and we recognise the threat of this resurgent racist and fascist movement on the streets … It is more important than ever that our proudly multicultural and multi faith city continues to stand united”
Signatories to this statement include
Richard Burgon MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Justice); Tim Roache, GMB General Secretary; Bill Adams, Yorkshire and Humber TUC regional secretary and Jane Aitchison, President Leeds TUC and Labour Prospective Parliamentary candidate Pudsey. It also carries signatures from local councillors, trade unionists, activists and sport stars, with names continuing to be added.
Richard Burgon MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Justice) said:
“I’m proud to support people in Leeds coming together to show their opposition to racism, fascism and bigotry. We don’t want people travelling to Leeds to intimidate our friends and neighbours or whip up the kind of hatred that has seen a mosque and Sikh temple set on fire in our city.
Working class communities have no interest in being divided and torn apart by scapegoating. We have to be clear that those who are responsible for poverty, low wages, crumbling public services and lack of opportunities for people in our communities are the super-rich and their political and media allies. The 99% must be united, not divided. We must reject Islamophobia, anti-semitism, the scapegoating of migrants and any attempt to turn our communities on each other.”
Bill Adams, regional secretary of Yorkshire and Humber TUC said:
“Yorkshire and Humber TUC is alarmed at the recent escalation of activity by racist far right organisations. As trade unionists we take very seriously our responsibility to promote and defend the unity of all working people in multicultural Leeds. We welcome the rally organised by Leeds Stand Up to Racism on 7th July and call on trade union members to attend and support the event”.
We want Leeds to be seen as a beacon for anti-racists and anti-fascists across the country, sending a clear message that the politics of hate and division will not be successful. Celebrate and defend multicultural Leeds by joining us from 12:30 pm on 7th July outside Leeds Town Hall. As well as political, trade union and community leaders we want to make our day a cultural celebration of diversity and a carnival of resistance to racism and we have a wide range of local performers, poets and musicians lined up to perform on the day.
For more information and for the full statement and list of signatories to date please see here:
