On Friday 28 March, two counter-rallies were organised in response to Nigel Farage’s visit to Birmingham, where he launched Reform UK’s bid for the upcoming May elections.
The first rally, led by Stand Up to Racism and local trade unions, aimed to showcase Birmingham’s multiculturalism in opposition to Farage’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.
During the march, our comrades sought to point the fire at Starmer’s government, who is also ramping up deportations. Despite attempts by the organisers to keep the focus solely on Reform, this resonated with many of the protesters:
“Farage and Starmer are no option for me, they’re both rich… I feel more and more we need a fresh start.”
Our offering of a genuine, revolutionary alternative sparked genuine interest amongst the crowd:
“I didn’t realise there was a movement like this I could join… everyone knows we’re suffering, but we need a solution!”
The second rally – organized by ex-Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana – attracted a significant number of young people, her popularity only bolstered by her expulsion from Labour in July last year.
Tonight in Birmingham, we united against the far-right — demanding real solutions, not scapegoats.
This is just the start.
The first of many rallies.
The launch of a movement — a coalition of unions, activists and communities standing together to fight fascism.
Get ready! 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/VYeYCAe6cJ
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) March 29, 2025
Speakers, including John McDonnell and Apsana Begum, delivered fiery speeches acknowledging Labour’s failures, and even touched on the class-based appeal of Reform UK: “Reform is strongest where the organised left is weakest.”
Zarah Sultana’s call for the “start of a new movement” was met with an electric uproar, demonstrating that there is a burning desire for a radical alternative to the crisis-ridden capitalist system.
Unfortunately, however, their proposed solutions echoed past efforts, from the Corbyn movement to the short-lived ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign, lacking any concrete direction.
There is a growing anger out there, and a longing for explanations and solutions of the present crisis. This is clearly fuelling both the rise of Reform itself, as well as the reaction against it.
Only a revolutionary programme can offer a way forward.
