An anti-fascist protest in Glasgow on Saturday 10 August, a day of mobilisations against the far right
Support is pouring in for an anti-fascist counter-protest against the far right in Glasgow on 7 September.
The Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) counter-protest is backed by nine trade unions, leading refugee organisations—and Irish rap trio Kneecap.
Hector Sierra, an SUTR Scotland organiser, told Socialist Worker, “This has to be serious mobilisation. The far right demonstration is being organised by racist forces. The main personality is known as the Glasgow Cabbie—Stef Shaw.
“When he called the protest, it was immediately promoted by Tommy Robinson. Shaw took inspiration from Robinson’s 27 July demonstration and was delighted to get support from him.
Hector said that the organisers are “trying to publicly distance themselves from the violence of the fascist riots”. “They’re making every effort to claim they have no links with racism or the far right,” he said.
“But the protest is against what they call ‘mass illegal immigration’. This is code for Islamophobic and racist ideas.”
The Glasgow Cabbie’s Facebook page is filled with anti-migrant messages. “He’s against ‘foreign graffiti’ and ‘the criminality of foreigners’. The message of the rally is to ‘let every foreigner know we are united against them’,” Hector explained.
James is an SUTR activist in Glasgow. “People are shocked to hear that the far right is trying to build here, and have been offering support,” he told Socialist Worker.
“Local businesses are happy to take leaflets and put posters up. We also have bands like Kneecap and comedians supporting us.”
Anti-racists have held stalls and have also been leafleting in the streets and stations. “We also have anti-racists pushing it in union branches,” James said.
“There was a racist attack on someone giving out leaflets in south Glasgow, but a week later we held a ‘Reclaim Our Streets’ stall and got a great response.”
Hector said the far right event is clearly having “one of the biggest pushes for many years in Scotland after a long time building from a low base”. “We’ve inflicted defeats on their side every time, like at the refugee hotel in Erskine where we counter-protested against the far right for a year,” he said.
“Our side has to rise to the occasion. Reform UK got 7 percent of the vote in Scotland. But with a proportional system, that could deliver for it in the Scottish elections in two years’ time.”
James said the far right is masking itself behind a “pro-Union” event. “The Glasgow cabbie claims this is a ‘pro-UK’ event to ‘defend our country’,” he said.
“But that rhetoric has quickly turned into ‘stop boats and mass illegal immigration’ that you also hear from the British state.
“They’re using the slogan ‘enough is enough’ which was a slogan the left used when organising last year to actually make people’s lives better.
“Glasgow has always been the working class capital of Scotland. We have to be clear that racists are not welcome and are met with a massive response.”
The SUTR counter-protest is backed by the Scottish TUC union federation and the EIS, RMT, PCS, NASUWT, UCU, CWU, FBU, Unite and Unison unions in Scotland.
Hector added that the vision for the counter-rally is “a mass anti-racist show of solidarity with refugees, opposing the far right, Islamophobia and antisemitism”. “The Scottish TUC representing 600,000 workers has backed it, as have nine unions in Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council,” he said.
“Other groups supporting the climate, housing, and Fans Supporting Foodbanks have too. This matters because we want to show that the far right is trying to scapegoat migrants and refugees for problems in society.
“This is a fake solution. Those opposing refugees do nothing for better housing or working conditions. That’s why there will be no trade union banners on the racist side of the square.”
Hector explained that some on the left argue that the far right and racist threat in Scotland is not as severe as in England.
“That’s complacent,” he said. “And it’s a misunderstanding of what’s happening here. There’s been few attempts by the far right to mobilise because of the counter-protests organised by SUTR and others.
“But the far right had planned protests in Paisley, Bathgate and other cities, which didn’t materialise because of counter-protests. Of course it makes a difference that we haven’t had 14 years of the Tories in Holyrood. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has a more positive rhetoric to welcoming refugees.
“But when we stopped the deportation in Kenmure Street in 2021 that wasn’t the SNP—it was hundreds of ordinary people.
“And while home secretary Yvette Cooper announced Labour policy on Wednesday pandering to the far right, we’re seeing similar moves by the SNP.
“It’s now scrapping the policy of giving free bus passes to refugees—something campaigners fought really hard for.
“We can’t undercut racism just by fighting for bread and butter issues. We need an explicitly anti-fascist response and the left needs to be on the front foot against the state.”
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