Observing the far-right anti-migrant protest in Falkirk, the divide between hard-core racists and a wider periphery is clear, and the left must act on that, argue Lewis Akers and Peter Gavine

Outside the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk, the far right showed that their numbers cannot be ignored. Over a 1000 gathered to protest against the refugee hotel and outnumbered the 200 on the Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) counter-protest.

Those attending the protest against the refugee hotel were mixed. There was a core of hardened racists who were pictured giving Nazi salutes, brandishing flags emblazoned with ‘kill ’em all’ and tattooed with white-power symbols. However, it’s worth noting that the mass majority of the crowd appeared to be made up of ordinary local people. They were brought to the demo by fears of rapes being carried out by refugees and chanted and ‘send them back’ at counter protestors.

The fact that so many were from the local community means that anti-racists need to intervene and speak directly to people across Falkirk. We need provide them with an alternative way to challenge the cuts and closure of industry which have ravaged Falkirk.

At various points throughout the day, the SUTR protest was in danger of being overwhelmed, with a minimal police presence of around ten officers at the peak of the demonstration. If those on the racist side of the divide had wanted too, they could have rushed the police and attacked the hotel and counter-protestors at will.

There did appear to be dividing lines within the racist demonstration with some speakers and an organiser of the demonstration encouraging listeners to distance themselves from the far-right and Nazi elements of the demonstration, who were tattooed with white-power symbols, and hurling projectiles at the counter-protest.

Despite these divides, the demonstration will be seen as a massive success for the far right. Attendees were told the next demonstration will be announced on Monday and if this demonstration was anything to go by, then the left need to mobilise people in Falkirk and from the big cities to support them.

The future of anti-fascist demonstrating will look like this; the fight will not occur in George Square, on the Royal Mile, in any city centres, but in working-class communities which have been ravaged by cuts and the closures of big employers in the local area. We need working-class organisation in every town and city to provide working-class people with an alternative to the bile of the far right. If we fail to this, we leave towns like Falkirk behind and that cannot happen. 

Nae Pasaran.