Youth and trade unionists mobilise against racist far right

Socialist Party Scotland reporters

Youth and trade unionists mobilised in their hundreds, against the largest turnout of the racist far right for a few years, in Scotland on 24th May.

The far right mobilisation was called around the slogan of a “Great British National Strike”, which was advertised on social media and took place in cities and towns across Britain. Organisers claimed: “We stand against illegal immigration, net zero, inheritance tax and the attacks on our farmers, the attacks on our most vulnerable, the lack of inquiry into rape gangs and the attacks on free speech and two-tier justice.”

It was a cynical attempt to link themselves with the popularity of industrial action. But unlike the many thousands who took part in trade union action during the recent strike wave, the numbers mobilised by this sham strike that took place on a Saturday were paltry by comparison. However, it shows the danger that they and the right populists are posing by pretending to be an anti-establishment alternative. 

Below we report from Glasgow and Dundee.  

Glasgow

Although the far right were outnumbered with counter protesters rising to several hundred throughout the day, with a large youth element, the far right protest mobilised 150 at their height. They also began with a small number violently rushing and attacking the anti-racist rally at Buchanan Steps. Collectively there was a response and they were chased down the street to outside the main shopping centre.

Police Scotland facilitated their increased numbers by guiding them through the shopping centre. There was then a standoff for over 11 hours into the night with lines of police protecting them and threatening left and trade union activists trying to remove them with arrest. 

The far right mobilisation itself was varied. There were hard-core neofascist activists present – they tried to coordinate and assume leadership. 

But there were also a number of self proclaimed loyalists and a more confused element. This was reflected in the banners “release Tommy Robinson”, flags of fascist groups but also “we are concerned grandparents against child abuse”. Saltires were carried alongside Union Jack flags. Some had pro Scottish independence signs. At the same time Rule Britannia was sung and the chant Stop the Boats. 

Some of the mobilisation were intent on goading and violently attacking the left but a minority engaged with Socialist Party Scotland members and expressed anger about Starmer and the housing crisis. One woman  said to us ” I dunno what the fuck I’am far right or a socialist, I just hate Starmer and the government. I’m on benefits, Farage is a rich bastard but the boats must stop. We cant cope anymore”. 

Of course Reform and these far right groups who support capitalist austerity have no solution to abuse, housing shortages and any of the issues making these people angry. 

Others from an Irish background referred to the housing crisis and tensions over immigration there. 

This is why the most effective mobilisation against this far right “strike” would have been the trade union movement itself calling a mass demonstration in every town and city under the slogan jobs and homes not racism. 

A mass mobilisation could have also physically, through effective democratic stewarding, removed the determined neofascist elements who stayed into the night hurling racist abuse and protected demonstrators from the police. 

Let’s learn that lesson for the future. Positively a large number of youth alongside activists from Glasgow City Unison, Unite and EIS made sure the far right were outnumbered and not left unchallenged.

Youth and working class people on the city’s busiest shopping street  joined spontaneously to show solidarity with the anti-racist protest. It was powerful to see different struggles united with the trade union banners as well as Palestine and trans rights protesters. 

Socialist Party Scotland was alone, however, among the socialist groups present in raising the need for a political alternative to the far right – a new workers’ party based on the trade unions fighting for socialist policies. Our leaflet saying workers need a party of their own was snapped up. 

Dundee

200 anti-racist protestors occupied the city square for almost three hours to prevent the racist far right from going ahead with their planned mobilisation. In the end around 25 turned up to their protest but they were forced out of the square. Carrying a Union Jack flag and Scottish Saltires, plus a Jesus flag, the racists were a motley crew. A few held up Reform UK placards and its clear that many of them currently see Farage and co as defending their interests.  

Jim McFarlane, a Socialist Party Scotland member, who is branch secretary of Dundee City UNISON, addressed the anti-racist rally, twice. Jim explained that Farage was a multi-millionaire, a political chancer who needs a SatNav to find his constituency. He will do nothing to assist those worried about cuts to public services and growing inequality because he supports the system that is causing those problems. The far right and populist right were nowhere when trade unions in Dundee were taking strike action on pay, or protesting the closure of local facilities and cuts by the local council. And that socialist policies of taking the wealth off the billionaires and using it to end the despair facing millions is the only way forward. 

It’s vital that an authoritative political alternative, based on the mass organisations of the working class, is urgently built to cut across racism and the far right. 

We say

Fight for Jobs, homes and services for all not racism and division 

Defeat Reform UK by building a mass workers’ party based on the power of the six million string trade union movement. 

For democratic stewarding of anti-racist events including by trade unions

Join the socialists