Every action provokes an equal and opposite reaction. This fundamental law of physics was vividly displayed across the UK last night, as tens of thousands of youth took to the streets in cities across the country to protest against Donald Trump’s #MuslimBan and the complicity of the subservient Tory government.
Every action provokes an equal and opposite reaction. This fundamental law of physics was vividly displayed across the UK last night, as tens of thousands of youth took to the streets in cities across the country to protest against Donald Trump’s #MuslimBan and the complicity of the subservient Tory government.
See below for a range of reports, pictures, and videos from the protests taking place across Britain last night
See here for more reports and videos from anti-Trump demonstrations this week
Within hours of announcing his racist, Islamophobic decree to ban people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the USA, over 100,000 people had signed a petition on the government’s official petition website calling for the new US President to be refused a state visit, as has been offered by Downing Street. With new signatories being added at a rate of 1,000 per minute, the petition soon reached the 1million mark. It now stands at over 1.6million, and counting, and has forced a debate in Parliament on the issue, scheduled for 20th February.
But the real living opposition to Trump was on the streets yesterday evening, with unprecedented mass protests erupting in towns and cities everywhere at just 24-hours’ notice. From reports and pictures, it can be seen that these demonstrations were primarily composed of militant and radicalised young people, with students and young workers turning out in their thousands to show solidarity towards Muslims, migrants, and all those who will suffer under the oppression of Trump’s reactionary programme.
In London, the demonstration – assembling outside Downing Street – filled the whole of Whitehall, forcing the police to close Parliament Square. It was a protest like none other in recent times: tens of thousands, perhaps as many as 50,000, turning out on a cold January Monday, holding aloft a sea of homemade placards.
These demonstrations in Britain have been fuelled not only by a burning rage against Trump’s xenophobia and misogyny, but also by the servile behaviour of Theresa May and her Tory government of millionaires, who have acted like desperate and obedient poodles in relation to Donald Trump and his administration.
May’s silence has said more than a thousand words ever could. Her refusal to condemn the racist and bigoted policies and rhetoric of the new US President has in turn been condemned by Jeremy Corbyn and others, with politicians from across the spectrum – embarrassed by the craven and fawning conduct of the Prime Minister – displaying their disapproval.
Even members of the Establishment have expressed their concern over the nature of the recently renewed “special relationship” between Britain and the USA, with Lord Ricketts, a former head of the Foreign Office, stating that an official state visit at the current time would be “quite controversial” and would put the Queen “in a very difficult position”.
The recent interactions between the Prime Minister and the President have demonstrated very clearly the reality of this “special relationship”: the relationship between a dog and its master. It is quickly becoming apparent that Britain has “taken back control” from the tentacles of the European Union (so UKIP and the swivelled-eyed Tories tell us), only to become the obedient servant of Donald Trump and US imperialism.
Far from “regaining independence”, it is evident that the British Establishment, as a result of Brexit, is now more reliant on its bigger brother across the Atlantic than ever, as even the Economist, a reliable capitalist mouthpiece, was forced to admit this week,
“The curious thing is that Brexit was supposed to be about “taking back control”: immunising the country from foreign whim and interest, while asserting national dignity and independence. Increasingly that looks like a bad joke. The British elite feels it has no choice but to prostrate itself before an American president it clearly finds odious.
“…Leaving the [EU] reinstates some control to Britain but requires it to trade away control in other ways. Will the result be a country any more able to chart its own course, as chosen by its own democratically elected leaders? Watch the prime minister’s excruciating embrace of Mr Trump and decide.”
By showing such complicity through her sycophantic silence, Theresa May has provided a lightning rod for all the anger and discontent that has accumulated within British society, exposing the clear connection between the reactionary policies of Donald Trump and the racist, anti-working class programme of the Tories. If the state visit does go ahead, it will present yet another opportunity for this resentment and tension to explode to the surface, with even larger and more militant protests on the cards.
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Trump, Farage, Le Pen and other such racist demagogues are all products of the rotten and decrepit capitalist system; symptoms of the same broken status quo that exists in all countries. Theresa May and the Tories stand as defenders of this failed status quo. We should be under no illusion, therefore, in thinking that these reliable representatives of the Establishment will ever come out against their own cretinous ilk on the other side of the pond.
Socialist Appeal supporters were present on the demonstrations last night across the country, putting forward the slogan on the front page of our latest paper: fight the right! Fight capitalism!
This is the only way forward: for workers and youth everywhere to get organised and fight for a socialist alternative to the xenophobia, austerity, and war that capitalism offers. Kick out Trump! Kick out the Tories! Kick out capitalism!
Join Socialist Appeal activists on Saturday (4th February) from 11am outside the US Embassy in London to march on Downing Street in protest against Trump’s #MuslimBan and the Tories’ collusion.
Newcastle
Considering the incredible turnout, it’s hard to believe that the rallying call was given just 24 hours previously. Up to 1,000 people took to the streets of Newcastle in the freezing cold, in a massive display of solidarity to those who are threatened and alienated by the actions of Donald Trump, and against the spineless, unconditional support given to him by a grovelling and desperate Theresa May.
The huge turnout provided a very lively atmosphere charged with anger, not just against Trump, but at Theresa May and the British establishment for standing by and doing nothing. A few students who I spoke to during the rally claimed that there was a really enthusiastic atmosphere at the university throughout the day in preparation for this demonstration and, as a result, younger people showed up in their droves brandishing placards adorned with witty and powerful slogans. This also included school students, who showed up in their uniforms. They were not alone, as hundreds of people of all ages also made their voices heard, even drowning out the speakers on the sound system in some instances.
We had 15 comrades from Socialist Appeal and Newcastle and Durham Marxist Societies in attendance, making our presence known with copies of Socialist Appeal and Revolution as well as our banner. Those who came from Durham were joined by around 60 other students from Durham University.
Trump’s presidency and the reaction that it has received internationally shows us that there are huge amounts of ground to be gained in terms of building a revolutionary movement. The future failures of capitalism under Trump will force a whole new layer of potential revolutionaries to take their stand and fight the right by fighting against the capitalist system that produces them.
By Andrew Macknight, Newcastle Marxists
Edinburgh
Huge and fantastic demo tonight organised by Scotland Against Trump in solidarity with migrants and refugees against Trump’s Islamophobic decrees. Mood was angry but positive and energetic, and the crowd was full of youth. Around 50 people bought Revolutions and we barely needed to try! More demos to be organised this Saturday and the next! There is no more fitting way to celebrate the centenary of the Russian Revolution!
By Ross Walker, Edinburgh Marxists
Leeds
Around 600 people had indicated they would attend the Leeds anti-Trump demo on Facebook. In reality, the turn-out was much larger – at the rally’s peak, it looks as if it may have been nearly five thousand in attendance (see video below). The overwhelming majority of those present appeared to be young, under the age of 25. There were strong statements of support for refugees, with “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here!” proving to be a popular slogan. There was certainly anger amongst those present, but no sign of resignation.
Personally speaking, I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime – certainly not at such short notice. Other comrades mentioned perhaps the only other time they had seen something similar to this was during the 2011 strike demos organised by the trade unions. However, last night’s protest undisputedly had a much more grassroots feeling. This is indicative of the increasingly radical mood developing amongst the youth.
By Harvey Dodds, Leeds Marxists
Swansea
The protest in Swansea, organised in under 24 hours by local groups and campaigns was attended by hundreds of people. Our new Socialist Appeal banner made a debut and it attracted positive attention from other participants. Alongside local Labour and trade union leaders, spoke a student, worker and Socialist Appeal activist, who talked about the need for socialist education and organisation; to join and build the labour movement, as only working class solidarity and consciousness can tear the fascists down, along with this senile system which breeds such reaction. The speech was received with a loud applause, as was our Socialist Appeal paper with its front-page headline to “Fight the right! Fight Capitalism!”.
“It’s great that we’re here at this protest, but we need to do more. When we go home, we need to go to the meetings of our trade unions, fight to transform the Labour Party, get involved, educate ourselves, read books, read articles, educate others, agitate with others, and let’s not let this happen again. We need to stop fascism returning anywhere in the world, and we fight fascism with solidarity of the working class. Fascism is a symptom of this rotten system, and we need to replace it with a better society: a socialist society.”
Maciej Krzymieniecki, Swansea Marxists
Oxford
This was definitely the largest rally (or even concentration of people) I’ve ever seen in Oxford, mostly (but not exclusively) youth. Despite the rain, it lasted for a couple of hours. There were some speeches by a local Labour councillor and others, but it was impossible to hear anything over the chants from the enormous crowd, which came at least until the middle of Cornmarket St. We marched through the High Street and back, closing a lane and the roundabout. Definitely an impressive turnout.
We gave out termcards for the Marxist society and leaflets about fighting Trump from our US comrades, which were well received.
By Rui Soares Barbosa, Oxford Marxists
Southampton
The turnout for both the women’s march and the recent protest against the Muslim ban was much higher than expected, especially considering the poor weather at the latter.
About 100 and 80 turned up to both, respectively, chanting anti-Trump (and a few anti-capitalist) slogans.
That the actions of a US president are eliciting such a response all the way in Southampton is clearly an indication of a rising anger amongst ordinary people, stemming from what seems to be an awareness that something is deeply rotten in the current situation – the rottenness is capitalism.
What was most encouraging was that when I was distributing the leaflets for our MarxSoc talk on Do We Need A Revolution?, almost all of those who took the leaflets immediately gave a clear and correct answer to that question: hell yeah!
By Hugo Robles, Southampton Marxists
