anti-racism

anti-racism

• Antifa: the anti-fascist handbook - book review

  

  The long history of anti-fascist mobilisation, outlined in Bray’s Antifa, underlines the importance of broad alliances for mass mobilisations, argues Thomas Gibbs

• Murad Qureshi - Standing up for Londoners

  

  Murad Qureshi is standing to be a Labour candidate for the London Assembly. He sent Counterfire his campaign statement and we are happy to share his reasons for standing.

• Tommy Robinson not welcome in Salford, say anti-racist protesters

  

  A counter-protest against Tommy Robinson's rally outside the BBC in Salford brought hundreds out on the streets against racism and fascism, reports Brian Madden

• No to hate in our beautiful city

  

  An Islamophobic attack on a school in Newcastle has been met with a 'human chain' anti-racist protest and community meeting addressed by MP Chi Onwurah, reports David McAllister

• Why I won't speak at the Oxford Union

  

  I was recently asked to debate at the Oxford Union. Here is my letter to the officers of the Oxford Union refusing to do so.

• Why does the Oxford Union insist on inviting fascist speakers?

  

  As Marion Maréchal-Le Pen speaks at the Oxford Union, the latest far-right figure to be invited, Dana Mills argues that it is an abuse of free speech and minorities pay the price

• Our ten most popular articles of 2018

  

  The most popular articles on Counterfire this year

• The streets belong to us: Tommy Robinson supporters outnumbered

  

  Thousands of antifascists on a united demonstration marched in London, outnumbering Tommy Robinson and his supporters, reports Julie Al-Hinai

• The far right can be stopped

  

  The UK far right, complete with distinct Nazi elements, is a clear and present danger, asserts Sofie Mason

• Equating fascism with Brexit is disastrous, irresponsible and gives a hand up to Tommy Robinson

  

  Arguments tying opposition to fascism with opposition to Brexit makes out half the country as Tommy Robinson supporters. This is idiotic in the extreme, argues Kevin Ovenden

• The Unity demo: towards a united front against fascism

  

  Today saw the biggest response yet to the emergent far right. Jack Hazeldine reports on a hopeful day of protest and the tasks ahead for the left

• Paris demonstration: 'Trump means war'

  

  The November 11 anti-Trump mobilisation in Paris is a real advance for the anti-war movement in France, reports Susan Ram

• No platform for Alice Weidel in Oxford

  

  The cancellation of Alice Weidel's visit to the Oxford Union is a victory and should help to push for a mass, anti-racist movement, argues Josh Newman

• Germany after Merkel: how the right can be beaten

  

  With the departure of Angela Merkel, centrist hopes for maintaining the status quo are withering, while the left is at a strategic cross roads, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Stop Tommy Robinson, All out for 17 November - Counterfire Freesheet November 2018

  

  Opposing the far right, people's vote, police racism, precarious workers, climate chaos, universal credit and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

• Stop Tommy Robinson: leaflets for National Unity Demonstration Against Fascism and Racism

  

  On 17 November, we will be out marching against racism and the fascist thug that is Tommy Robinson - we provide leaflets for you to print and distribute

• Brexit breaking point: it May be the end of this government - weekly briefing

  

  The crisis for Theresa May and the Tories continues to deepen, their only lifeline would be a second referendum, argues Lindsey German

• Anti-fascist demonstrators outnumber the DFLA in London

  

  Thousands joined forces to oppose the racist Democratic Football Lads Alliance - a violent crew of Islamophobes, fascists and Tommy Robinson fans. Now we need to build an indivisible mass movement against the far right

• North West London come out in voice against police violence in Harlesden and racism in wider society

  

  Protestors came out in support of a man who was violently attacked by police in Harlesden, and called for a fightback against racism in society

• Football Lads and Lasses against Fascism

  

  We speak to Ray from Football Lads and Lasses Against Fascism about their goal of keeping the Nazis off the terraces

• Is Israel a racist endeavour?

  

  Supporting Palestine is an anti-racist, anti-colonial struggle; Israel is and always has been a racist state, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Fight for Corbyn, Freedom for Palestine - Counterfire Freesheet September 2018

  

  Corbyn's leadership in danger, solidarity with Palestine, People's Vote vs People's Brexit, UK wage stagnation, Yemen and fighting the far right

• The Palestinians deserve better than this – weekly briefing

  

  Any concessions on anti-imperialism will not only weaken Jeremy Corbyn but the whole of the radical left, argues Lindsey German

• When the lying has to stop – weekly briefing

  

  Calling out the smear merchants for what they are is step one in ending this appalling and unprecedented witch-hunt,  argues Lindsey German

• Boris and the burqa: taking a cue from the EU

  

  Islamophobic dress decrees have become as much a feature of contemporary Europe as fine wines, ancient patrimony and al fresco dining, writes Susan Ram

• Solidarity with Bookmarks shows a united left can take on the far right

  

  The huge show of solidarity with Bookmarks bookshop on Saturday shows that the left can unite to defeat the far right argues Isabel Carr

• Boris Robinson and Tommy Johnson: two sides of the same racist coin – weekly briefing

  

  When the mainstream starts playing with fire like this it means action stations for our side, writes Lindsey German

• The attack on Bookmarks was an attack on us all

  

  The attack on Bookmarks shows how emboldened the far right are and why the debate on how to stop them is so urgent argues Pete Morgan

• Call to oppose racist rally in Stockton-on-Tees

  

  Teeside People's Assembly is calling on people to support an anti-fascist counter-protest in Stockton this Saturday

• Steve Bannon: international orchestrator of the alt-right

  

  Steve Bannon has gained international notoriety for his role as Trump's chief strategist. Sean Ledwith examines his role in organising the transatlantic alt-right

• The far right can be defeated, and mass organisation is the key – weekly briefing

  

  Solidarity with Muslims and maximum unity are the watchwords for confronting today’s street racists, argues Lindsey German

• They shall not pass: all out on 9th June

  

  The Democratic Football Lads Alliance is a plainly racist organisation; anti-racists need to make sure they stop them marching on 9th June argues Josh Newman

• Hundreds stand up to the FLA in Manchester

  

  The Football Lads Alliance had a rally in Manchester, but there were more anti-racist activists that mobilised against them reports Karen Buckley

• This rudderless government deserves a hostile environment – weekly briefing

  

  It’s up to us to make sure the nasty party pays for its crimes, argues Lindsey German

• Amber Rudd Must Go

  

  The entire left must stand united in its condemnation of the Windrush scandal, and demand the immediate resignation of Amber Rudd.

• So called 'moderates' are the enablers of the far right

  

  Kevin Ovenden on why the anti-racist radical left must give the ideological battle

• Islamophobia: human chain response to 'punish a Muslim day'

  

  A city responds to 'Punish a Muslim Day'. Newcastle unites against Islamophobia

• Jeremy Corbyn isn't antisemitic: we should stop being defensive about it

  

  The antisemitism smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn is cynical political point scoring and the left must tackle the arguments head on argues Shabbir Lakha

• Organised workers in Germany massively reject AfD

  

  It is unity amongst the working class that can keep the far right at bay

• Black Panther: from Huey Newton to Wakanda - film review

  

  Black Panther is a landmark film for representation and presentation, but the politics ignores structural issues of class and race, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Rotherham: Islamophobia, structural racism and the far right

  

  The Rotherham 12 Defence Campaign shows how media sensationalism and dangerous political rhetoric can lead to injustice

• Brexit: the need for independent working-class, anti-capitalist politics

  

  We build on the schism in capitalist politics resulting from Brexit divisions by putting anti-racism grounded in working class politics front and centre argues Kevin Ovenden

• Fighting fascism in the 1930s: Trotsky and the United Front - video

  

  The strategy of the united front was central to Trotsky's politics and has been used many times since to fight fascism. Katherine Connelly discusses the history, what we can learn from it, and what it means for politics today.

• Can we stop Trump tweeting his way to war? - weekly briefing

  

  Trump tweets his way to nuclear confrontation with North Korea and military action in Venezuela while fascists wreak carnage in Charlottesville

• 'Intolerants, you are not welcome here!' Remembering the Battle of Lewisham

  

  Forty years after the confrontation between fascists and anti-racists in South London, protestors remembered the momentous event and pledged to continue the fight against racism

• May Day in Gascony: ‘All for one and one for all’ in the fight against fascism

  

  Hundreds take to the streets on May Day against fascism and Le Pen, Susan Ram reports from south-west France.

• Livingstone and Labour: an attack on the left

  

  Anti-racists should oppose the hysteria around allegations of antisemitism against Livingstone

• Darcus Howe (1943 – 2017): the Mighty Lion remembered

  

  A trailbreaking activist, writer and broadcaster is remembered by Madeline Heneghan

• March 18 anti-racist demos: broad and militant

  

  Recent anti-racist mobilisations show the movement shifting up a gear, notes Kevin Ovenden  

• Brexit: new poll provides evidence for the left‘s strategy

  

  There are good grounds for the left counterposing our Brexit to the Tories‘, writes Kevin Ovenden

• The Battle of Cable Street with Chris Bambery - podcast

  

  Author and broadcaster Chris Bambery tells the story of the Battle of Cable Street, to mark 80 years since

• Islamophobia: green and pleasant land in crisis

  

  A brutal attack in the heart of Middle England highlights the reality of everyday racism, reports Maz Saleem

• Refugees, solidarity and struggle for social change

  

  Protesting is crucial to maintain pressure on Theresa May, both to reverse policy and end the wars that create refugees, reports Jonathan Maunders 

• Questions three months on from the murder of Jo Cox MP

  

  Kevin Ovenden considers the aftermath of the brutal assassination that rocked domestic politics and identifies currents the mainstream is anxious to ignore 

• Race and Class: The Colour of Struggle 1950s-1980s

  

  A special issue of the journal Race and Class vividly illustrates the history of black and anti-racist struggles for peace and equality in Britain, finds Dominic Alexander

• BAME rally: Jeremy Corbyn offers powerful anti-racist alternative

  

  Shabbir Lakha reports from Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour leadership campaign rally for BAME communities

• Black Lives Matter: getting organised

  

  Shabbir Lakha reports on this week's London activist meeting of Black Lives Matter, as participants discuss the next steps for the movement 

• Plotters and bleaters: Corbyn, crisis and the coronation

  

  Lindsey German looks beyond the Westminster bubble and spies vital signs of political upturn     

• UK after the rain

  

  Shabbir Lakha looks beyond the media blizzard surrounding last week’s referendum result and identifies anti-racist work as a campaigning imperative

• Immigration, racism and class

  

  While mainstream ideology repackages its old myths and lies, Kevin Ovenden argues for a radical re-assertion of class-based anti-racism 

• Labour Party activist rails against anti-Semitism slur

  

  A personal statement from Graham Bash, editor of Labour Briefing, on antisemitism, Labour and Jeremy Corbyn

• Racism killed my father

  

  Today marks the third anniversary of Maz Saleem’s father Mohammed Saleem's brutal murder by neo-Nazi Pavlo Lapshyn

• Greece: a crucible of reaction and resistance

  

  As fascists and racists seek to exploit the refugee crisis, our embedded reporter Maz Saleem witnesses how our side fights back 

• Left anti-EU campaign launched

  

  Shabbir Lakha reports from the first anti-EU meeting organised by the left. This needs to be the start of a concerted campaign

• Unite across borders against racism and Fascism

  

  We must use every opportunity to build a united movement against racism

• Solidarity against racism at Bristol Mosque

  

  We need to understand the sources of Islamophobia and stand with Muslims when they are under attack, argues Zara Nelson

• The left in France: a moment of decision

  

  While Hollande is arguing for more war, the left needs to focus on building a broad, united movement against war, racism and Islamophobia

• Paris attacks: fight the racist backlash

  

  In the wake of the atrocities in the French capital, building an anti-war movement is more necessary than ever, writes Kevin Ovenden

• Rock against racism: when black and white united

  

  Jim Aindow looks at the history and impact of an inspirational anti-racist movement told through the photos of Syd Shelton in an exhibition at the Rivington Place gallery

• The Black Panthers: the hidden history

  

  Director Stanley Nelson tells the story of one of the most influential radical movements to emerge from the United States, whose legacy is both enduring and politically misunderstood, writes Season Butler

• Black History Month matters

  

  Amandla Thomas Johnson on the importance of Black History Month