Hull anti-racist counter protest
Eleanor reports – Hull today (Saturday) unity rally against the far right. Lots of union banners and flags, including RMT, Unison and GMB. 250 of us, up to 50 racists.
NW London
Moyra reports – NW London organising assembly tonight (Thursday 3rd October, pictured below). 25 in the room.
News came in of a sizeable donation for Care4Calais worth ~£2/3k from a Lush store in Brent Cross that is closing down.
Cable Street remembered
City & Islington College
Sean reports – City and Islington College UCU members at their union meeting at my site on Camden Rd today. 30 in the room 20 on line all saying we’re marching on the 26th.
Teachers going all out for 26th October
General secretary of the NEU Daniel Kebede writes:
Building for October 26.
Building a movement against the rise of the far right is vitally important for trade unionists. Our members come under attack when the far right grows – and so in our case do the pupils we teach.
Up and down the country NEU districts are building support for the demo on October 26.
And from head office we are supplementing that with these steps:
- We have produced a home mailing which will arrive a week before the 26 October demo to 150,000 members in London and the south east. The mailing consists of a letter, the SUTR leaflet also attached, and an A5 strip of Educators Against the Far Right stickers.
- From next week, we will begin a three-week social media campaign, with posts about the demo and our anti-racist education material across our social media platforms, with adverts targeted at educators in the region with videos on why people should attend the demo.
- Our on-line shop has been stocked with all the Educators Against the Far Right material, with the addition of mugs and t-shirts. Districts can order boxes which contain a cross section of merch from bags to t-shirts and badges and stickers.
- We are advertising the demo in all our internal e-publications, with downloadable links to resources districts and branches can use.
- For the demo itself, we have the giant NEU inflatables, an Educators Against the Far Right strip banner for the front of our contingent (attached, we need to find people to carry this), 1,000 Educators Against the Far Right placards, NEU flags and Educators Against the Far Right stickers.
Do everything you can to build for this demo, and to build the movement against the far right.
Don’t let hate dominate in our country.
Build your union and join Stand Up To Racism.
West Sussex
Christian reports – West Sussex NEU voted last night to donate £2000 to SUTR for activities in West Sussex, eg Crawley, Worthing, Chichester etc.
Haringey
Finsbury Park RMT are backing the 26th October demo against Tommy Robinson. The branch meeting was addressed by Haringey Stand Up to Racism representative Paul Power, who is also Haringey Trades Union Council secretary.
Hastings
Simon reports – Hastings & District NEU have agreed to pay for all train tickets from Hastings to the Oct 26 demo.
Nottingham
Richard and Sheena report – Great counter protest against the far right UKIP’s confernce on Friday 4th October. Over 40 of us – more of us than them! Some great speakers. They won’t be having a conference again there next year!
UKIP leader Nick Tenconi arrived with a megaphone to march into the hotel with a bodyguard – unfortunately for him our 3 drummers had just arrived- no-one could hear a word he was saying and his ‘aide’ videoing must have ended up with a crap video!
Tenconi is also TPUK’s COO. Tenconi describes himself as a “Defender of masculinity, Christianity, and conservative values”. He is a self-employed personal trainer who operates a lifestyle coaching business out of a gym in Reading and rails against “satanic woke culture”.
Tenconi is also deputy leader of the diminishingly relevant Ukip.
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Tony reports – CND national policy conference has agreed to support the October 26th national demo against Tommy Robinson and to work with SUTR. Agreed to make a full call-out to local groups and national actions and events.
Teachers support Care4Calais
Michael reports – NEU members at the Care4Calais warehouse in northern France say “Stop the Far Right – Say It Loud Say It Clear, Refugees Are Welcome Here” ✊🏾✊🏿✊🏻
Dorset Summit Against Racism
Picture caption: Dorset Summit Against Racism gets under way in Weymouth today. Samira Ali from SUTR introducing
Candy reports – ✊🏼 Thanks to everyone who made today’s Dorset summit against racism such a success!
55 people attended and more booked up to join the coach to oppose Tommy Robinson on 26 October ( Book up here!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dorset-coach-to-stop-tommy-robinson-demonstration-sat-26-october-tickets-1014074954487 )
We heard inspiring speeches from Sarah Kilpatrick from NEU and Samira Ali from Stand Up To Racism. We were also pleased to hear the views and commitments from Lloyd Hatton MP and council leader Nick Ireland, and will need to make sure the words are turned into action.
The workshops were all productive with lots of plans – action points to follow. You can join the Education and Love Music Hate Racism sub groups here by clicking at the top of the what’s app group.
Below: Lloyd Hatton, new Labour MP for South Dorset speaks at Dorset anti-racism summit today. Made some big commitments…. thanks Lloyd, we hope the government will also hold to them.
Tom Robinson shout out for Love Music Hate Racism
Christopher Eccleston
Big up Christopher Eccleston supporting the national demo against Tommy Robinson on 26 October ✊🏽
Stop The War Coalition national convenor Lindsey German sends out 26th Oct demo call at massive Palestine march
Lindsey German is absolutely right to end her speech with a call for mass mobilisation against Tommy Robinson on the 26th October by highlighting the escalating racism and Islamophobia here and across the West, which is leading to the rise of the far right.
