150 anti-racists prevented Posie Parker and her supporters from assembling in Whitechapel
Transphobe Posie Parker wanted to come to Whitechapel, east London on Saturday to spread her hate.
But a demonstration called by Tower Hamlets Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) and Women Against The Far Right (WAFR) made sure she couldn’t.
Some 150 anti-racist activists rallied to counter her hate.
Parker, along with 30 of her supporters, was instead stuck in a corner of Victoria Park under tree cover.
From there, they chanted “O Tommy Robinson”, held up Islamophobic signs and wore Maga hats.
But they knew they were in the minority, singing, “There are many, many more of you than us” and accusing counter-protesters of being “the regime”.
Beth, from south east London, told Socialist Worker, “We’ve got to show a united front against the far right who are intent on spreading racist hate.”
Rebecca, from Tower Hamlets, added, “Posie Parker is a threat to east London.”
Parker claimed that Tower Hamlets, an area that has a large Muslim population and a left wing mayor, is unsafe for women.
What did the women on the counter-protest think of this?
“Bullshit,” was Rebecca’s response. “I’m a single woman and I walk around here all the time. It’s totally safe.”
“Our strong communities make us safe,” Beth said. “I’d rather be here than in a community where the far right has divided people.”
WAFR activist Ren, from Barnet in north London, added, “I’ve walked home from parties here at 4am by myself and I felt safe. I’m more scared of the far right.”
Tower Hamlets is safe for women. Posie Parker is not.
By Rebecca Givan
Around 80 anti-racists came together on Thursday for a demonstration called by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) Leicester.
They assembled at the Athena Theatre to protest a platform being handed to far right Katie Hopkins.
Hopkins was there as part of her “stand up comedy” tour.
But there’s nothing funny about Hopkins. She’s a racist, who’s shared a stage with fascists like Tommy Robinson, most recently at his “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May.
She has called migrants “cockroaches” and has urged the use of ‘gunboats’ to stop refugees crossing the Channel.
Gracie, a local activist with SUTR, slammed the Athena for hosting Hopkins.
“It’s an insult to the people of Leicester that racists are being platformed in this city—and that people are profiting from that,” she told Socialist Worker.
It’s not the first time the Athena has provided a platform for the far right. Last year, the venue was the site of a Reform UK conference.
But the response of anti-racists in the city was brilliant.
“We had the backing of a broad range of groups,” Gracie explained. “There were banners from the Leicester Trades Council, as well as the NEU, Unison and Unite unions.
“We also had the backing of local Palestine activists,” she added.
The police prevented the anti-racist protesters from using megaphones. But they made themselves heard, chanting, “Say it clear, say it loud, Leicester’s history makes us proud!”
Anti-racists in the city pushed back Oswald Mosley’s fascist Blackshirts in the 1930s and the National Front in the 1970s.
Tim, another activist with SUTR, said he’d heard rumours that the Nazis of Britain First are targeting Leicester for a rally in September.
“If they try to come here, we’ll build for it and we’ll humiliate them, like anti-racists in Birmingham did last week,” he said.
On the same night, in Seaford, East Sussex, around 40 members of Reform UK were met with at least 80 counter-protesters.
The far right party had invited “academic” Matt Goodwin to speak at a meeting.
Goodwin has made misogynistic and racist comments. He’s called for women without children to pay higher taxes. And he’s pushed the racist ‘Great Replacement’ conspiracy theory.
The failed Reform UK candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election was also previously in the pay of Hungary’s far right former prime minister Viktor Orban.
When anti-racists heard about the meeting, they organised.
Louise, an activist with SUTR in Eastbourne, spoke to Socialist Worker about the anti-racist response.
“We wanted to be there to say that Goodwin’s misogynistic, racist and transphobic ideas weren’t welcome in Seaford.
“We had Palestine and Pride flags and activists from Sussex WAFR were there.
“Indeed, there was support from groups across the south coast. SUTR activists came with banners from Eastbourne, Lewes, Mid-Sussex and Newhaven.
Locals were clearly inspired by the anti-racist response. Another SUTR group, in Peacehaven, has already been set up as a result.
Women Against The Far Right (WAFR) organisation successfully launched itself in the north east last Thursday to a sold out event and a full house of over 80 people.
The launch was chaired by the women’s officer for Unison union Newcastle branch, Lucy Edache. We heard from Mina Kaur, black members officer for the Darlington NEU education union, Mez Nisa of Newcastle Unites and Jenny Black, former Unison national executive committee member. Sophia Beach spoke for WAFR as a member of the national steering committee.
There was a shared recognition of the need to organise against the far right’s threats to women and the weaponisation of violence against women to spread racism.
Speakers also recognised the threat Reform UK poses towards trans+ women and the LGBT+ community.
Educators, trade unionists and activists spoke about how the community and workplaces are changing with the growth of the far right. They also recognised the threats of a Reform UK government.
We know that, overwhelmingly, the threat to women’s safety is at home. Some 97 percent of violent and sexual assaults against women are committed by someone they know.
We also know that at least 20 percent of the 949 people arrested in the 2024 racist riots had past records of domestic abuse. In some areas in England this number rises to over 50 percent.
To a reception of cheers, Sophia told us that the way to stop the far right is by outnumbering them on the streets with the broadest movement possible.
By Eve Clayton in Newcastle
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