We stand in solidarity with communities across the UK who have been subjected to violence and intimidation orchestrated by far-right groups.
We have witnessed appalling scenes of racist rioters targeting Muslim, black and minority ethnic communities, spreading fear and mayhem. The deliberate assault and arson of hotels accommodating asylum seekers is nothing short of barbaric. These hateful events must be condemned as Islamophobic and racist by politicians of all parties and the media.
We offer our condolences and support to all those tragically impacted by the events in Southport that resulted in the murder of three children, Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar.
We are appalled that these events have been weaponised by far-right individuals and groups to incite riots and violence on our streets. They show contempt and absolute disregard for the families and communities impacted.
We are heartened to see people across towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland come together to clean up streets, offer their services and support, their solidarity, kindness and humanity.
We have long warned that the far-right poses a dangerous threat in the UK. Spreading racist hate amongst communities that are often marginalised and under resourced. The cruel impacts of austerity are shared across working-class communities, however the brutality of structural racism is faced only byblack and minority ethnic communities. This has been compounded by the drip feed of anti-migrant rhetoric from parts of the media, politicians and echoed across social media channels.
We will not stand back and allow the far-right to attempt to divide us. We will not be silent. We will not cower. Trade unions have a long history of defending our communities against fascists and racists. That work continues today.
It is our duty to step up. We must be anti-racist in our actions. We must reach out to local mosques, encourage others to do so also, to offer support to asylum seekers and refugee organisations, to educate ourselves about racism, fascism and Britain’s colonial past and to build unity and to demonstrate against the far-right.
The trade union movement in Scotland stands ready. We call on you to stand with us.
