Forest Gate protest says no to anti-LGBT+ hate in east London

The protest to defend the Forest Gate pride flag mural (Picture: Guy Smallman)

Over 100 people protested against the defacing of the Progress Pride Flag outside Forest Gate train station in east London on Monday.

It was called in response to the defacing the mural on the pavement, with the word no and a cross painted over it.

Jeandre Coetser is a Forest Gate resident and Socialist Worker supporter who was part of organising the protest. “We’re here to show that our solidarity is louder than the hate,” they said. “We’re here to show that our LGBT+ neighbours are welcome and that we won’t let hate divide our community.”

This was the third vandalisation of the council-sponsored murals located around Forest Gate and Woodgrange Road within the space of two months.

Jeandre added, “What we have seen here in Forest Gate shows the real danger of the narrative at the top of society. It’s not just hateful rhetoric—the bigotry at the top of society seeps down and has real consequences for the lives of LGBT+ people.

“Last year the rate of transphobic hate crimes increased by 11 percent—and by over 180 percent over the last 5 years.

“Last year I attended a protest in Clapham where a gay couple were physically attacked and stabbed. A week before that a similar attack took place in Brixton. I don’t want to see the same in Forest Gate.”

On Friday of last week, a small group of LGBT+ activists began reaching out to organisations and unions in the area to organise the protest.

Rob from the Forest Gayte Pride group told the rally, “We stand here today united in love, resilience and defiance. Our gathering is not just a response to the cowardly act of vandalism against our pride flags—it is also a testament to our unwavering commitment to equality and Justice.”

Local parent Kelly is from the newly formed community action group Queers + Allies. “We need to be encouraging our schools to deal with this at a grassroots level,” she said. “We need schools to educate everyone that this kind of behaviour is not appropriate in Forest Gate or anywhere else.”

The rally was supported by NEU education union branches in Waltham Forest, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets, Newham Solidarity Fund, Newham Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Newham Stand Up To Racism. 

Michael Dance from the NEU spoke about the “importance of responding to hate on the streets” and drawing links with struggles for Palestine and against racism. “It’s important we see the Palestine flag alongside the Rainbow flag and unite two communities that some might see as ‘separate’,” he said.

“We have to take the argument about unity onto the streets against Tommy Robinson on Saturday, but also onto the streets when we link with the Palestinian struggle.”