Anti-fascists in Oxford ruined the big night for Nazi Yaxley-Lennon and fascist Laurence Fox last night.
Report from Oxford SUTR
One thousand people assembled at three positions in mass numbers which completely blocked entry for all but around 20 out of 600 ticket holders for the racist spectacle. The ‘debate’ was delayed for hours and ran with megaphone chants ringing into the hall.
Shamefully, St Michael’s street hosting restaurants, cafés and hotels was closed by private hire security and metal fences erected. A reportedly £800,000 policing operation could not stop the anti-racist majority from wrecking Yaxley-Lennon’s evening thanks to our numbers and determination. The fascist speakers had to be hurried in several hours early by car, not risking a public reception.
Young Muslim students chanted at the debate club president “how dare you use our Muslim name”.
Auditors were taken off our demonstrations, and a pitiful turnout of 11 organised Tommy supporters who attracted some kids to boost their numbers to 40 shuffled off early.
As well as banging music from Oxford Love Music Hate Racism and speeches from councillors and campaign leads, the night was dominated by endless chanting and pressure. “Whose world? Our world. Whose future? Our future.”
The crowd sang “No audience for fascists” triumphantly.
A healthy contingent of anti-fascists remained past midnight anticipating the nazi scurrying out. We blared “Now Tommy’s in a box, in a box” into the chamber until our megaphone battery died.
What stronger proof is there that Oxford is anti-fascist? And this, the thousand say, is our world!
Monitoring Group Comment
Opposing fascists such as Tommy Robinson is a defence of democracy.
The fascist and far-right tradition has always sought to divide people through racism, scapegoating and violence while attacking the organisations that allow ordinary people to fight for their interests.
Democracy is more than a ballot box every few years. It depends on the right to organise, protest, join trade unions, worship freely, and live without fear of intimidation. When the far right targets migrants, Muslims, refugees or anti-racist campaigners, it seeks to narrow those democratic freedoms for everyone.
History shows that fascist movements grow when they are allowed to organise unopposed. They use democratic space not to expand democracy, but to destroy it. In the 1930’s in Germany and Italy the fascists abolished democracy entirely.
Robinson’s goal is the initiation of pogroms and the use of mass marches to physically intimidate movements such as Palestine solidarity. The purpose of his public appearances is not to contrribute to debate but to build fascist organisation and then legitimate that organisation.
That is why mass, united, anti-racist mobilisation is essential. By confronting fascists in the streets and denying them the confidence to grow, anti-racists defend the democratic rights of all people, whatever their background.
The struggle against fascism is therefore not separate from the struggle for democracy—it is one of its most important expressions.
Forthcoming antifascist/antiracist resistance
