Refugee Solidarity Summit hears of racism and injustice, pledges to fight back
Campaigners from the TUC, the Green Party and many migrant organisations gathered in London on Saturday to discuss how to fight the government’s racist policies and scapegoating. Amy Downham reports. Saturday’s Refugee Solidarity Summit, hosted by london2calais, involved around 100 people – a diverse mix in terms of race, age and gender, including many young women […]
Eurostar protest shuts shit down in solidarity with refugees
Peter Norman reports from Friday’s action at London Eurostar terminal in solidarity with refugees in Calais. As I walked around Kings Cross station on Friday evening, alongside but separate from other small of groups of demonstrators, I wondered what on earth was going to happen. Twenty minutes later, 300 people, nearly all young, many BME, […]
Syd Shelton Rock Against Racism exhibition highlights contrasts and conflicts of the 1970s
A collection of anti-racist activist and photographer Syd Shelton’s work from Rock Against Racism is currently on display at the Autograph ABP gallery in London. Is this exhibition, and book, a nostalgic trip to the bad old days of 1970s racial conflict or does it have something to offer a new generation fighting the changing […]
Protesters gather in Dover to demand open borders and migrant rights
Roderick C and Mitch Mitchell report on Saturday’s Open Dover demo on the Kent coast (Open Dover demonstration in support of migrants – photo by Steve Eason) Around 500 protesters turned up on a rainy afternoon in Dover yesterday to stand in solidarity with refugees trapped in the camps in Calais. The protest was organised […]
Making live and letting die: ‘refugees’, ‘migrants’ and Fortress Europe
Chloe Haralambous reports on the refugee crisis from the Greek island of Lesvos and examines the function of the division between ‘refugees’ and ‘economic migrants’.
Migration in the age of Imperialism’s four horsemen: part 3
For over three decades neoliberalism has run rampant at the expense of the working class and poorest of the world. But such a dismal interpretation of the world just will not do. The point is to change it. This requires us honestly to recognise the scale of the crisis while identifying those symptoms of resistance […]
Migration in the age of Imperialism’s four horsemen: part 2
The intensification of capitalist competition has created global markets and in the process has led to an imperialist period of capitalist development that has seen war, the uprooting of whole populations and environmental degradation push the fabric of societies and our planets intricate network of ecosystems to the point of crisis. This is the second […]
Migration in the age of Imperialism’s four horsemen: Part 1
For the past year a growing refugee crisis on Europe’s borders has allowed the political right to capitalise on xenophobic and paranoid fears spread by racist politicians and media. Even those who have rejected the more outrageous expressions have often accepted the classification of those seeking resettlement along the lines of the ‘deserving’ refugees and […]
PREVENT: protecting the vulnerable?
Emily Cousens looks at what’s behind the language of ‘vulnerability’ in the government’s PREVENT strategy. Spying and suspicion are now legally required as public sector workers are being trained to look for signs of vulnerability to radicalisation (such as a desire for adventure or political change) in those they work with. More and more of […]
Police intimidate, harass and attack refugees with rubber bullets at Calais camp
Mitch Mitchell was an eyewitness to police intimidation at ‘The Jungle’ in Calais last week where rubber bullets were used to attack refugees.
Magnificent response in Bristol to Calais Refugee Solidarity Campaign
Linda Nunn reports on the magnificent response to the Calais Refugee Solidarity Campaign in Bristol The Calais Refugee Solidarity Campaign in Bristol was set up just 6 weeks ago by 7 people. We now have 5500 members on Facebook, and have five sub groups covering Campaigning, Media , Fundraising, Volunteers and Collection of stuff for the […]
Fife residents meet to discuss solidarity with refugees and migrants
There has been a wave of support for people caught up in the migrant crisis. While the authorities have attempted to secure the gates to the fortress, people across Europe have started to organise mass campaigns of support and solidarity, participating in what Abdul Bostani from the Scottish Refugee Council describes as “active citizenship … […]
Two stories from Calais
On Saturday 19 September, members of the London2Calais took part in a demonstration of solidarity with the refugees at the camp in Calais, known as “The Jungle”. Here are two stories they brought back with them.
Why Russia backs Assad: a view from Russia’s anti-imperialist left
The editors of the Russian socialist website openleft.ru analyse why Russia is now openly moving troops into Syria to support the Assad regime. A whole range of evidence [also here] indicates that Russia is activating its military aid for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad up to the point of direct involvement of Russian troops in the […]
Dover: what kind of anti fascist movement do we need?
A letter from Thanet anti-fascists. On Saturday 12 September, the National Front, South East Alliance and other Nazi outfits numbering around 200-250 were able to march in Dover, declaring ‘Refugees Not Welcome Here’. Around a dozen people from Thanet joined the call out by the Anti Fascist Network (AFN) to counter them. When we turned […]
Teeside workers fight racism with solidarity
Brian Parkin reports For over a year construction workers on Teesside have been protesting about the rising numbers of migrant workers being employed at the former ICI Wilton site, where a new energy from waste plant is being built. But don’t despair. Unlike such previous disputes, this one is different. This time the protesters are […]
Thousands show solidarity with refugees at London demo
Steve Eason reports: Following the public response to news reports of refugee deaths in the Mediterranean and the recent publicity of the struggles of refugees camped at Calais, and ahead of Monday’s EU emergency meeting on the refugee crisis, on Saturday marches and rallies were held in solidarity with refugees across Europe. The two biggest marches […]
Refugee crisis: Merkel’s double game
The media has shown refugees being welcomed to Germany, and Cameron’s response has been so inadequate he’s made even Angela Merkel look good. But, as Mark Bergfeld writes from Germany, the government there has its own motivations – and the welcome of the last few days may quickly sour. The media here is full of photos, videos […]
Cambridge rallies to refugee cause
Mitch Mitchell reports on a march and rally in support of refugees in Cambridge.
LET – THEM – IN!
Miriyam Aouragh salutes solidarity initiatives from below that counter the racist border policies of our rulers. “I’m happy to look after children, take them to kindergarten, school and wherever they need. I can cook for people and show them friendship and warmth. I can pay the airfare for one small family. I can contribute with […]
Official harassment won’t stop us, say Calais campaigners
Members of the Convoy to Calais were held for several hours yesterday after returning from France. But campaigner Mona D says convoy participants won’t be intimidated and will keep supporting refugees in desperate need in Calais. Mona’s statement reads as follows: Yesterday British border police threatened to refuse my “leave to enter” the United Kingdom. This happened after […]
Migrant workers’ victory in Korea
Sam MacDonald reports from Seoul on migrants’ successful struggle to win legal recognition for their trade union. Over the past 50 years, few countries have experienced such a dramatic economic rise as South Korea. A country once known for sweatshops and cheap manufactured goods now produces some of the world’s most advanced ships, cars and electronics. An […]
Discrimination in selection?
Professional statistician Nancy Carpenter and Unite activist Ian Allinson explain how to check for discrimination in situations like redundancy selection. It’s common for employers to select employees for various purposes, including recruitment, redundancy, appraisals, pay rises, bonuses and promotions. It’s common for people to say such actions should be subject to “equality impact assessments” to […]
Hey, hey, Theresa May, how many kids have you drowned today?
Campaigners are standing up to the Tories’ racism against immigrants and refugees. Sherrl Yanowitz and Neil Rogall report from the protest at Downing Street on 20 August. Yesterday our vile Home Secretary Theresa May was in Calais. When the refugees tried to go and join a demonstration in the city centre they were stopped by police. […]
Nazis routed and humiliated in Liverpool as hundreds turn out to block their march
Pat D reports and reflects on last Saturday’s successful anti-fascist mobilisation in Merseyside Liverpool is a famous city. National Action, a neo-Nazi group, wanted to be famous too, which is why they chose the “Red City” as the location for their “White Man March”, planned for Saturday 16 August. The problem was that Liverpool is famous, […]
Convoy to Calais part 2
Mitch Mitchell continues his report from the convoy to Calais, bringing food, clothes and solidarity to the migrants camped there.
Convoy to Calais
Mitch Mitchell reports on the convoy that he and others are taking to Calais this weekend with food, clothes and other things that have been donated by people in the UK to show solidarity with the migrants there.
“You can’t organise a riot”: racism, riots and arrests in 1981
In memory of John “Brad” Bradbury of the Specials who topped the charts with Ghost Town whilst Britain burst into flames of riots and racism in 1981 – Colin Revolting remembers how anti – racists danced to the Specials and fought against racism and unemployment. January A fire at a house party in New Cross […]
IS in the 60s: linking up with Manchester workers and fighting racism
Colin Barker recalls how IS grew in 1960s Manchester – making links with engineers and building workers, and campaigning against racist police violence.
The longest picket line I’ve ever seen
Both the striking workers and desperate migrants at Calais need our solidarity, writes Colin Frost Herbert. The longest picket line I’ve ever seen. Or rather the longest effects of a picket line. The news cameras pan back to show a helicopter view of the Kent countryside and three miles of two lines of parked juggernauts […]