SolidariTee comments on racist demonstrations in the UK this month

On Saturday 13th September, more than 110,000 people marched through London's capital under a so-called 'Unite the Kingdom' event rooted in racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Some of the quotes shared by supporters of the March and ideology, and the sentiments expressed in conjunction with it, are truly shocking. We won't be giving this type of hate speech any more airtime here, but it's enough to know that the baseless-claims and fear-mongering are based on information and allegations which are not only incorrect, but downright fabricated in many cases.

We know that these views are not the views of the majority of the UK public.

Most of us share values of safety, peace, unity, and freedom, and we don't want to see division of persecution of anyone within our communities.

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That's why, in talking about these events and our response, we are not here to fear-monger ourselves. We refuse to contribute to narratives that do nothing but tell people they have something to be afraid of. When the focus of the conversation becomes solely about the risks for affected communities, we are inadvertently contributing to the very sense of insecurity we're standing against.

Instead, we will seek to be led by our volunteers, supporters, and members of our wider community, especially those with lived experience of migration, in continuing to build a movement that promotes holistic, lasting support to people and communities, especially and including those who are rebuilding their lives in search of safety. However, we also know that different people have experienced this weekend's events in different ways. For many, these types of displays have been deeply frightening and destabilising, especially for members of our communities who are people of the Global Majority and/or who have migrant backgrounds. To diminish this is also to invalidate the very real impacts of what has followed more than a decade of anti-migrant rhetoric.

Alongside this, those who don't have lived experience of being members of a racialised community, and who have not had to confront these issues on a daily basis, may also be feeling particularly shocked. Some people may be experiencing a sense of grief or a shaken world-view, feeling that they have been brought 'alive' to the severity of these attempts to divide us for perhaps the first time.

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The reality is that the foundations of this type of hostility have been being inflamed in connection to immigration for a long time.

Unfortunately, arguments about migrants and refugees that have been peddled by political leaders are inherently caught up in lots of the rhetoric used by far-right and racist demonstrators. We want to unpack some of these links to build contextual knowledge amongst those who want to stand together against this type of division.

To refer to this group and ideology only as 'far-right' is to miss the point. The reality is that for more than a decade, many people's sense of safety, and of a future for their families and for themselves has been tied to a baseless fear of 'the other' - most commonly, people reaching the UK in search of safety. All the way back in 2012, Theresa May set up a series of policies with an expressed aim to “create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.” To read a brilliant unpacking of the Hostile Environment policy by Praxis, click here.

It defies belief that this type of language was ever acceptable in the public domain, but this type of approach has made it socially acceptable to talk about deliberately harming or putting migrants and people seeking safety at risk.

It's contradictory for the UK government to claim to stand against racism on one hand, but to use language like this, and to criminalise and deny the rights of people seeking safety on the other hand. It's so obvious that positioning (incorrectly) groups of migrants as the source of inequality and poverty in the UK would lead to a corresponding rise in hostility along racist lines that it's hard to believe it could be anything but deliberate.

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The most insidious form of division that this policy has opened the door for is debate about the 'good' or 'right' kind of migrant. Some may argue that they feel 'real' refugees deserve protection, but don't want 'economic migrants' to come to the UK. Others may simultaneously argue that they don't want people 'coming here for the benefits' and 'not contributing'. Though contradictory, they have the same result, creating confusion about who is and isn't deserving of support.

Very quickly, it becomes apparent that once it becomes socially acceptable to deny rights and promote hostility to any one group of people, it affects everyone. These type of economic and scapegoating arguments that attack the motivations behind migration are contradictory and dangerous.

Yet without meaning to, even people who want to support migrants and refugees can be found using this language. We have to be so careful that in supporting the rights of one group of people, such as asylum seekers, we're not diminishing or invalidating any other group.

At SolidariTee, we'll be working on a renewed series of mythbusters and infographics counteracting some of the most harmful stereotypes pushed by anti-immigration and racist protesters. In doing so, we'll take care to re-centre the fact that statistics and facts are nowhere near as important as shared values of togetherness and inclusion, and avoid being forced to 'walk back' these values to defend incorrect and irrelevant arguments.

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What can we do as individuals and communities?

There are many options. A good first step is to consider your own experiences of power and privilege, and where relevant, try to learn more about how to contribute to good allyship that centres those most impacted.

Learning more about how to be an active bystander can also help you to feel prepared in the event you are called upon to support someone in your daily life.

For some, attending protests and demonstrations in support of safety and inclusion for all, and which call on the government to do more to end hatred and division, can also be a powerful way to support. Be mindful that some people, especially those who have a disability, precarious legal or immigration status, or other accessibility needs may not be able to participate, and don't diminish other forms of online and in-person movement-building.

At SolidariTee, in the past days we have had more than 100 new applications to join the team. We're very moved that many young peoples' first reaction has been to contribute their time and energy to this type of movement and community-building. We will continue to focus on building teams and spaces which are intentionally anti-racist, learning and self-reflecting as we go. For those who can donate time or money, there are many movements and charities in need of support.

For those who can't, or who would like to do more outside of this, being alert to attempts to divide us is the best thing to do. Be aware of the links between anti-refugee sentiments and racism, and be alert to harmful debates that give the impression that fundamental rights are negotiable or available only to 'deserving' people. Call out jokes and ask people what they meant when harmful stereotypes are referenced, and learn as much as you can about racism and implicit bias to help you reflect on your own positionality. Build links between different social justice and human rights movements - it's interesting that the St George's flags were seen as a 'grey area' in connection with far-right demos, but that the Palestine flag has been labelled as harmful by those in power on numerous occasions.

Above all, and especially for those most impacted, protect your own energy where you need to. Turning a blind eye is not ok, but burning out helps no-one.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

―audre lorde