The third racist protest against refugees in Falkirk saw strong anti-racist organisation coming together, based on local activists, and demoralising the far right, reports Lewis Akers

On Sunday, Save Our Children, Save Our Futures (SOCSOF), an anti-refugee group, held their third protest outside the refugee hotel the Cladhan. As we have previously reported, the past two demonstrations have seen counter-protesters outnumbered. However, at this demonstration, the counter-protestors, numbering 300, outnumbered anti-refugee protestors from SOCSOF who only attracted 150/200.

The roots of this success come from the joint working of a newly established group consisting of local anti-racists called Falkirk For All who worked closely with Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) to bring in as many elements of the community as possible behind the demonstration. The demonstration started with a rally consisting solely of woman speaking from the local community and trade-union movement. Each speaker was clear that although women don’t need protection from racists or fascists, they feel more threatened by them than refugees fleeing war-torn countries.

After speeches, Falkirk For All organised a ‘woman’s solidarity wall’ which involved local woman linking arms in silence and solidarity to show they were not intimated by the far right and they will continue to defend refugees. It was clear this impacted not only our own side but the anti-refugee protestors who weren’t sure what to do in response and ended up making vile comments towards those on the solidarity wall.

Once the women’s solidarity wall was concluded, the demonstration was handed over to Cabaret Against Hate Speech who manage to turn any protest into a disco that lifts the spirits of those on the anti-racist side. Counter-protestors danced triumphantly while the Time Warp and YMCA played.

The picture on the other side was very different. There was no coherent organiser and the void was filled by despondence and anger. It was clear that, on the opposite side, many of the soft racists who bolstered numbers on the first and second week had drifted away and were replaced by hardened fascists and racists. Again, Connor Graham, the organiser of the protest, was not in attendance. Richard McFarlane, a key activist with the proscribed neo-Nazi organisation Patriotic Alternative, attended and unfurled a number of banners, including one which contained ‘14 words’, a slogan used by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist organisations.

Others in attendance openly displayed Nazi salutes, hurled homophobic and sexist abuse, and one anti-refugee protestor even attempted to attack a woman who was speaking at the counter-protest, but was pushed back by the anti-racists. So much for the racists’ claim to be protecting women! The infiltration of the local group by well-known fascists and racists has been carefully documented by SUTR who released a video last week exposing the high-profile racists and fascists who have been in attendance at Falkirk.

The most promising development in the past week has been the emergence of local anti-racist activists and leaders from Falkirk For All who have stepped up to the plate and led the counter-protest with the confidence and conviction of seasoned activists. This should give anti-racists across the UK hope that the seeds of strong anti-racist organisation exists in every town and city and the people of Falkirk are leading the way.