Thousands turn out at anti-racist counter-protests to ‘stop the far right’ across the UK

Thousands of people have responded to a rallying cry to “stop the far right”, turning out at anti-racist counter-protests being held across the UK for a national day of protest.

Anti-fascist group Stand Up to Racism called for demonstrations to take place across the country on Saturday, with huge crowds gathering in towns and cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff, following more than a week of nationwide far-right riots.

The police had been braced for further violence ahead of the weekend, but the far-right were outnumbered by anti-racists where they did turn up, according to Stand Up to Racism, with more than 50 rallies taking place nationwide.

Up to 15,000 people also gathered for an anti-racism rally organised by the United Against Racism group in Belfast, with protesters seen holding placards with anti-racism and pro-migrant messages and heard chanting, “When migrants’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back.”

Meanwhile, the thousands marching on Whitehall in support of refugees chanted “refugees are welcome here”. Stand Up to Racism estimated 5,000 people assembled at Reform UK’s headquarters in Victoria, where speakers accused Nigel Farage of “spreading racism”.

Those giving speeches later in Trafalgar Square then condemned X boss Elon Musk following recent criticism facing the social media company over the spread of disinformation on its platform.

One speaker from Stand Up to Racism told the crowd: “After being outnumbered, we turned it around this week.”

Samira Ali, who made the closing speech, later said: “We feel like we have turned the tide. It’s a testament to our mobilisation that they failed to come out. They would not have been stopped if it was not for our mobilisation.”

The group reported that hundreds, if not thousands, also gathered in many more towns and cities across the UK, including Edinburgh, Cambridge, Glasgow, Exeter, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hastings, Oxford, Manchester, and other areas of London – bringing the total number of anti-racist demonstrators potentially to the tens of thousands.

Demonstrators carried placards and banners displaying slogans such as “No to racism” and “Refugees welcome: Stop the far right” at the counter-protests outside Holyrood in Edinburgh and in George Square in Glasgow.

There were up to 3,000 gathered both in Glasgow and in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester, according to Stand Up to Racism. As many as 2,000 people turned out in Edinburgh, according to the organisation, while 1,000 took to the streets of Liverpool as well as Newcastle, where a small number of far-right protesters did appear.

Liverpool saw violent riots last week, as did Hull, where Stand Up to Racism reported 400 anti-racists were instead gathered on Saturday.

Weyman Bennett, Stand Up to Racism co-convenor, said: “Today shows we can turn the tide against the far right and the racists. Up and down the country, people have come together, organised and marched to send a clear message: the far-right aren’t welcome. We won’t let them attack Muslims, migrants and refugees. Our message is one of hope, solidarity and unity.”

It comes after more than a week of far-right riots, which erupted in many of the same places that saw counter-protests take place on Saturday following the fatal knife attack in Southport – and included attacks on hotels housing migrants in Rotherham and Tamworth.

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed during a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space on 29 July.

Bebe’s heartbroken parents, Lauren and Ben King, paid tribute to their “precious” daughter who was “full of joy, light, and love” as they disclosed that their older daughter, Genie, nine, saw and escaped the stabbing, praising her “incredible strength and courage”.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anti-racist-counter-protest-far-...

Those people ARE the far right - they just don't think they are... but it is they demanding the law and the State take total control .... it is they appearing in their thousands and engaging in violence and initiating it in most cases....

Someone put it well...

If a hundred 'right wingers' show up and ten misbehave - it's a riot.

If a hundred 'anti-right wingers' show up and ten misbehave, it's a peaceful counter-demonstration.

If a hundred Muslims show up and ninety of them are armed with knives and clubs, they're just defending themselves peacefully.

If a hundred women protest at a mosque about the abuse of women, it's a riot in Britain.

If a hundred Muslims protest by smashing the windows of a cathedral, it's another peaceful demonstration.

If a hundred BLeMishes show up and they all smash and burn cars and buildings and riot, it's a justified demonstration but is mainly peaceful.


                                                                                                                               

And so mothra raves

Fact of the matter is the good people of England are divided between those who see one side of the problem and those who think they see a problem with those seeing the problem.  No Tolerance for racism.  The people have spoken.

Excellent stuff.

The opposite bleach-eyed side - excellent stuff-up.... but it'll come to them soon enough...

**pulls up rock for fireside chat":-

"Y'know, I was the greatest friend to the Australian Aboriginal - offered 'em their demanded homeland and separate state, offered 'em shared Open Range confirmed same as the government does with 'traditional ownership'.. pretty much everything they demanded, often with menaces.... except, of course, I wasn't going to go along with closures of national parks and icons that are caretaken by government for everyone.... no, sir...

Nobody's stopping them throwing in a line or taking in a view.... but like the kids they are in reality, they think they can just demand exclusive right to those things..... well - that ain't gonna happen here.

Anyway - I was their mate and greatest supporter in some of their demands, like I said above..... but then that bloke standing in the middle of a disability parking spot abused me for pulling into that spot, as if he had the right to obstruct it.  Nearly lost himself a leg doing it, too, but he was smart enough not to do it twice.... I always give a person one chance.... but stoopid is as stoopid does sometimes...

Anyway - calling me a white c*nt and carrying on about his thousands of years  - not him personally and he probably doesn't know his dad anyway - was enough to make me back up against 'em. 

No more demands - the people have spoken against racism from blacks and Mussos and such....."

mothra wrote on Aug 12^th, 2024 at 10:14am:


Do you think you've made a point?

Bias_2012 wrote on Aug 12^th, 2024 at 10:46am:



No dear. The far right has been rejected by the majority.

And it's a beautiful and hopeful thing.

Bias_2012 wrote on Aug 12^th, 2024 at 11:00am:


You know, it's quite possible you're as far gone as Crappler.

Do you ever get out? You know, amongst people?

Next question... do you ever get out amongst people not exactly like you?