This was the second time in three weeks that the good people of
Rotherham had to be subjected to the racist ranting of the fascist right who
thought that they could be on fertile ground for their messages of hate by gathering in the steel and coal town
of Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
Two weeks ago it was the EDL who did not succeed in dividing the close
knit community and this week it was the turn of the National Front.
This was the second time in three weeks that the good people of
Rotherham had to be subjected to the racist ranting of the fascist right who
thought that they could be on fertile ground for their messages of hate by gathering in the steel and coal town
of Rotherham in South Yorkshire.
Two weeks ago it was the EDL who did not succeed in dividing the close
knit community and this week it was the turn of the National Front.
On the Saturday morning of the NF demonstration , Dave and I had to go through police ‘
customs’ to get through a door in the steel barrier that the police
had erected at the bottom of All Saints Square, in the town
centre of Rotherham. We set up our
stall with our two socialist banners at a key point in the Square and
adjacent to the UAF stall and speakers position.
As we expected there
was a large contingent of between 200-300 hundred local Muslims and
other community Asians, a mixed crowd of mostly young people, but also
along with older community leaders, local councillors and trade unionists.
Local councillor Mahroof Hussain made a sterling speech explaining
that the attempt by the EDL and
the NF in spreading hatred among the solid working class communities of Rotherham
would not succeed. This went down
with huge cheers from the crowd many of whom were just itching to get among the
fascist scum of the NF. With the NF gathering just around the corner
with a miserable little gathering of between 30 and 40, ringed by around 50
police ,including four mounted on horseback, appeals for calm from community
leaders were respected..
At around 12 noon the
National Front, obviously
getting the message that they had getter get of town whilst the going was good,
started to move out of Rotherham centre moving towards the train
station ringed by police. The Asian protestors and others charged forward
towards them via the opening in the steel barrier but it was swiftly closed by
police and the mounted police moved around to block the exit leading to the NF
retreat so we were restricted to shouting loud chants – of "get out
of Rotherham Fascist Scum" etc. etc and climbing on to the barrier There
is no doubt in my mind that the NF would have suffered severe harm if these barriers
and the police had not been there.
I have never seen the Asian
community so well organised and so angry at a United Against Fascism demo.
During the two hours
of the Demo, the Socialist Appeal stall became a focal point for some really
good discussion among our members and local activists, including a few black
and Asian youths. We sold five Socialist Appeal papers and one book. The whole theme of the Demo was unity
between all creeds and communities and we were proud to be part of the Demo and
we will continue to support our black and Asian brothers and sisters.
