News

From Enoch Powell’s speech to Stephen Lawrence’s murder—how racism grows, and how it’s beaten back

This week marks the anniversaries of Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech and Stephen Lawrence’s murder. Both can tell us about how to fight racism

Stephen Lawrence’s killing exposed the cops’ racism

The racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and its aftermath changed Britain. A campaign led by his parents forced the state to hold an inquiry into Stephen’s death and the police investigation into it.

‘We’ll reject the legacy of the racist Tory Powell’

Fifty years on, anti-racists will defy the message of Enoch Powell’s racist speech, says Tomáš Tengely-Evans

Anti-Muslim racism has made France the Republic of Islamophobia

Emmanuel Macron managed to beat fascist Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election this time last year.

What’s behind gun and knife crime?

After several recent killings of young people in London, media and politicians have blamed “gangs” and to call for more resources for police. But, as Sarah Bates finds, the roots of the violence lie in deep social problems

Did big data rig the votes?

It’s a scary world out there. Powerful people are doing grubby things with personal information we may not even realise we’ve made available to them on the internet.

Why Israel is a racist state

Supporters of Israel say it’s antisemitic to call Israel racist. They want to silence legitimate criticisms of its institutional racism against the Palestinians

Israel's massacre at Deir Yassin

After the massacre, the militias boasted to the press of how many Arabs they had killed.

Fighting back because we care - Birmingham home care workers speak out

Women workers in Birmingham spoke to Sarah Bates about their battle to stop a Labour council attacking a key service in the city

Heading for a collision on France’s railways

French president Emmanuel Macron has picked a fight with the historic stronghold of the French working class—the railway workers. Charlie Kimber argues that unions must fight now

A system of alienated labour means misery for workers

Alistair Farrow looks at how capitalism alienates workers from their labour, other workers and the world around us

‘How strikes have changed us’, university workers celebrate their action

Workers’ involvement in a wave of university walkouts by the UCU union has taken bosses by surprise. Strikers and students spoke to Sadie Robinson about how the action is changing the campuses—and themselves

Reclaim Martin Luther King the radical

Liberals have tried to sanitise Martin Luther King ever since his death 50 years ago. But, says Yuri Prasad, King was a radical who blamed capitalism for racism, poverty and war

Hunger for freedom at Yarl’s Wood

A hunger and labour strike at the Yarl’s Wood detention centre is shaking up the authorities. We show the the reality of life inside the centre, and how Home Office racism lies behind it

The hard truth about the border in Northern Ireland

The village of Pettigo is nearly obliterated by a red line on maps of Ireland. Most of it lies in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, but some is in Northern Ireland.

A legacy of spies’ lies

Intelligence services are neither intelligent nor a service. But the spooks are a dangerous force used to subvert opposition to our rulers

University workers say ‘We're taking back our colleges’

A wave of strikes by university workers over pensions has become a focus for people’s anger and discontent at the Tories’ and bosses’ attacks on education. A win for the strikers will be a boost to everyone who wants to fight back, reports Sadie Robinson

Strike back at fat cat bosses, say striking university workers

University bosses’ assault on pensions will hit workers hard, and is the latest attack aimed at turning education into a profitable business. That's why over 40,000 workers plan 14 days of strikes from 22 February. UCU union members speak to Sadie Robinson