Sunday 20 March 2016

Fantastic #M19 Stand Up To Racism Demonstration - 20,000 on the streets!


Several SWP comrades from Derby were on the huge, lively and positive Stand Up To Racism demonstration on Saturday 19th March.


This is the third annual celebration of multiculturalism and diversity, held to celebrate UN Anti-Racism Day.

The demonstration had the messages:
  • No to Islamophobia and anti-Semitism
  • No to racism
  • REFUGEES WELCOME HERE!
About 20,000 people took to the streets!







This was the biggest demonstration yet, and there were plenty of delegations from trades unions too - it shows that there is a real strength of feeling to resist the attempts by the ruling class in government, the media and the bosses to create hate and fear of migrants and to try to make some of the most vulnerable people take the blame for the mess they have created.

Nazi organisation Britain First held a racist demonstration of its own. A couple of dozen fascists stood behind a heavy police cordon holding racist placards. Many protesters replied by singing songs or chanting anti-racist slogans: "Say it loud, say it clear - refugees are welcome here!" echoed down Regent Street, accompanied by some fantastic drummers and choirs.

In Trafalgar Square were some fantastic speakers, including Diane Abbott, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Hardy and Maz Saleem among many others (you can see the full list on the Stand Up To Racism website here)

Derby SWP is fully supportive of the Stand Up To Racism group and yesterday's demonstration enthused and energised its members. We will do all we can to help it grow by helping to build the largest possible alliance of people and organisations in the city opposed to racism and fascism, and we want to help to make future activities even more successful than the events we have already seen.

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