Originally written for the Sheffield Telegraph
August has seen horrific mobilisations and violence by the far-right in South Yorkshire and across the country. We must come together, rebuild our community spirit, and fight back.
This month we have seen neo-Nazis take to the streets of Sheffield. We witnessed a horrendous arson attack on a hotel housing people seeking asylum in neighbouring Rotherham.
For many people my age and younger, this may be the worst racist and fascist violence we have seen in our lifetimes.
It was truly horrifying to see the far-right trying to set fire to hotels in a mass murder attempt and to know it was the direct consequence of the media and politicians having normalised Islamophobic and anti-migrant rhetoric for years.
It’s scary to not know whether you will be safe to leave your house, or be told by the police not to open your business for fear of attack. To have built a life in a city and see it suddenly change overnight.
It’s hard to know how best to respond, or what there is to say, when things start to go so horribly wrong.
However I was deeply proud to join hundreds of other Sheffielders at counter demonstrations this month and stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of our city. Seeing so many people come out to defend their neighbours, celebrate our city’s values, and counter fascism, was wonderful.
At the midweek evening demonstration on Glossop Road there was a joyful atmosphere once we realised the fascists had decided not to attend their own protest—and that our mobilisation had prevented a potential hate-fuelled riot.
To me, it’s important to attend counter demonstrations as a councillor. I think all representatives who feel able to go along should do so. Being a councillor means showing solidarity and defending communities when under threat.
I would encourage everyone to get involved in their local solidarity organisations and anti-fascist networks and consider what contributions you can make to build stronger communities. There is a role for everyone to play.
As a city and as a community we must continue to mobilise, to oppose those demonising our migrant and Muslim siblings, and defend our communities from hatred and racial violence.
But–as important as they are–counter protests alone will not defeat racism and fascism. We must also confront the racist and dehumanising rhetoric that has been mainstreamed by politicians and press alike.
People like Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk, and Nigel Farage have amplified conspiracy theories, and their continued relevance comes from people believing and acting on their hate.
Our newspapers, from national to local, have a responsibility to fact-check, to move away from clickbait, and stop using racist rhetoric. Our politicians—who have spawned far-right slogans like “stop the boats” and “take back control”—must stop attacking vulnerable people for political gain.
The Home Office have said that anyone inciting racial hatred can go to prison for up to seven years. That should also apply to anyone who has fanned the flames of anti-migrant hate, whether during a street riot or sitting on the green benches.
Neo-Nazis roaming our streets should serve as a wake-up call. Fourteen years of austerity have eroded the foundations of our society, and now some sadly turn to false prophets scapegoating the most vulnerable.
The new government faces a challenge of restoring hope to vulnerable and potentially divided communities. That will require serious political priority: funding for councils and community organisations; cracking down on hatemongers, and cracking on with building schools and youth clubs; rebuilding and redoubling the welfare state to support all who need it.
It will mean addressing the societal evils that come from inequality and injustice. We know that the enemy travels by private jet not lorry, and by yacht rather than migrant dinghy. We need a government that will speak the truth about all of our material conditions, and then address them. And we will need to organise within our communities to demand what we deserve.
This August marks 100 years since the birth of James Baldwin. He once wrote that ‘a civilisation is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked, but only that they be spineless.’ A message to reflect on in our current political times.
