Anti-racists join the Stand Up To Racism conference in London (Picture: Dave Gilchrist)
Around 500 people participated in Stand Up To Racismâs (SUTR) national conference in-person in London and online on Sunday.
The conference celebrated the downfall of former home secretary Suella Bravermanâand vowed to keep up the fight against the Toriesâ racist attacks.Â
Neville Lawrence, father of Stephen Lawrence who was murdered 30 years ago in south London, spoke at a session on fighting institutional racism. âThe police accused my son of being a burglar,â he said.Â
âWe asked questions about what happened the night he was killed but they wouldnât tell us anything. We were told for many years there was no institutional racism in the police. But itâs been exposed that a number of officers at the time were corrupt.âÂ
âWeâve been fighting for justice and the truth for over 30 years. I donât know what theyâre hiding or who theyâre protecting. Something is wrong with the police. Theyâre determined not to solve Stephenâs case.âÂ
Nevilleâs speech was followed by chants of, âNo justice, no policeâno racist police.â
Sukhdev Reel spoke about the justice campaign for her son Ricky, who was killed in a racist attack 26 years ago in west London. âThe response from the police was appalling,â she said. âThey werenât interested in recognising it as a racial attack.Â
âThey said Ricky must have run away because Asian people have arranged marriage or because he was gay and we wouldnât accept him. I have no trust in them. They will never change. Racism is deeply rooted in the police.âÂ
In the session on welcoming refugees, speakers discussed how to stop the far right protests outside hotels and disused army camps that house refugees. The far right has been boosted by the Toriesâ scapegoating.Â
NEU union general secretary Daniel Kebede called out Rishi Sunak and Braverman for giving the âgreen light to far right thugsâ last weekend to âdefendâ the Cenotaph in Whitehall âWeâve seen a normalisation of Islamophobia against those who stand against the atrocities in Palestine,â he said.Â
âWe also stand with refugees. Weâre told schools are struggling because of an influx of refugees. But itâs because of pernicious cuts, not refugees.
He added, âWe also have to worry about a future Labour government. Labour wont deliver for working people. Our fight is far from over.â
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka congratulated union activists and refugee charities who had blocked the Rwanda deportation policy in the courts last week. âLegal victories are important,â he said.Â
âBut we have to be able to win in our communities and workplaces. That will be pivotal to turn around this tirade of hostility towards migrants. Outside hotels and on the streets, we need to have conversations to unite people.â
From the floor, Nimi from West Wales SUTR spoke about the lessons of fighting the far right in Llanelli. A racist campaign stopped refugees being housed at a hotel in the town. âThe local hate campaign was against refugees arriving, they had demonstrations and meetings,â she said.Â
âMy own union branch secretary was part of that, but brave anti-racists and individual union members stood up to them.
âEven if we were outnumbered we called the fascists and racists out for what they stood for. We have to start with a position that says refugees are welcome here.â
Rory shared anti-racistsâ experiences of pushing back the far right outside a hotel in Erskine, Scotland. âWe beat back Patriotic Alternative and outnumbered them every time,â he said. âWe had a united form with local people, anti-racists, trade unionists and refugees. We fought the far rightâs fire and defeated them.â
Candy from Portland, Dorset, spoke about supporting refugees stuck on the Toriesâ prison barge. âWe called out the No To The Barge groupâs leaders and their racism,â she said. âThat was absolutely key.Â
âAnd we welcomed refugeesâwith events, packs and flowers. You canât ignore or join up with racists and leave them to itâyou have to deal with them.â
In a session on the far right, speakers called out fascist attempts to mask their antisemitism by attacking Muslims. Aiche from Collective Against Islamophobia in France said, âRacists paint Muslims as the problem. They donât care about fighting antisemitism.â
From the floor, people spoke about beating back the far rightâsuch as defending drag queen story time events in Honor Oak, south London.
Michael Bradley from SUTR said, âAcross Europe fascists and the far right are growing. From Germany, Italy, France, Hungary and moreâtheyâre attacking migrants, refugees and Muslims, and pushing the great replacement theory.
âBut we have to continue to mobilise on the ground against racism wherever it appears. Itâs there to divide us, and when we unite we break that.â
Anti-racists from across Britain are learning the lessons from their battlesâand gearing up for future ones.
- Join SUTRâs March Against Racism in London, Glasgow and Cardiff on Saturday 16 March 2024. Details at standuptoracism.org/uk
Source: Socialistworker.co.uk