Racism

Racism

• The Common Wind charts the black resistance movement that won - book review

  

  Scott’s classic The Common Wind shows the world-historic impact of the Haitian Revolution of 1791, the first successful slave revolt in history, finds Dominic Alexander

• Trump and Farage: gruesome twosome of the resurgent right

  

  Trump is feeding a toxic resurgence of the pinstriped populist right, argues Sean Ledwith

• Britain refuses to withdraw from the Chagos Islands

  

  Despite a decisive UN vote, Britain still has no intention of giving up the Chagos Islands, reports Jacqueline Mulhallen

• Milkshakes, moralism, and the rationalist error

  

  Some on the left are crying when they should be laughing, argues John Rees

• Winston Churchill: he fought for his class, never ours

  

  Churchill’s record tells a very different story to the heroic legacy of popular myth, argues Dominic Alexander

• Sri Lanka: manipulating a terrorist outrage

  

  From draconian emergency powers to a ban on Muslim women’s face coverings, a delinquent government seeks to mask its own catastrophic failures, writes Susan Ram

• City of Segregation, One Hundred Years of Struggle for Housing in Los Angeles - book review

  

  Andrea Gibbons’ history of the battle for equal housing in LA uncovers the intensity and injustice of segregation, which remains a highly visible aspect of US cities, finds Adam Tomes

• Israeli elections: apartheid or apartheid-lite

  

  Israelis have voted for their preferred version of apartheid - we must stand with the Palestians, writes Sybil Cock

• What's to blame for knife crime?

  

  As more young lives are being tragically lost to knife crime, we must demand an end to austerity and investment in our communities, the very opposite of the Tories response of racism and repression, argues Julie Al-Hinai

• Brexit chaos and the far right: the racists must be stopped in their tracks

  

  Broad anti-fascist mobilisation is needed to smash the racists empowered by the government's Brexit mess, writes Chris Nineham

• Keep fighting for Corbyn: Stop the attacks - Counterfire freesheet March 2019

  

  The soft coup against Corbyn and the weaponisation of antisemitism, Tory Brexit crisis, Winston Churchill, Venezuela, climate change, Palestine and more in this month's Counterfire Freesheet

• Who's to blame for the rise of Islamophobic terrorist attacks?

  

  After the terrorist attack in Christchurch and now the attacks on Birmingham mosques, Shabbir Lakha finds that it's leading politicians and the media fuelling Islamophobia

• We must stand up to Islamophobia - video

  

  Speaking at the Stand up to Racism march in London, Chris Nineham says we need a campaign that takes on Islamophobia and the politicians and media that fuel it

• Christchurch terrorist attack: Stop the War statement

  

  Islamophobia has been fuelled by the 'War on Terror' - Stop the War Coalition's statement on the terrorist attack in New Zealand

• The Making of a Two Tone Nation

  

  40 years on, Mark Perryman celebrates the debut release from The Specials

• Islamophobia is the dominant form of racism: why is it being ignored?

  

  Attacks on Islam and Muslims are the central organising principles of far-right movements across Europe, argues Chris Nineham

• Is Sajid Javid's deprivation of Shamima Begum's citizenship legal?

  

  Looking at the law, it's clear that the Home Office decision to strip Shamima Begum of her citizenship is incorrect, argues Attiq Malik

• Deportation flights: Tories have learned nothing from Windrush

  

  Despite the furore over the Windrush scandal last year the Tories show no signs of scaling back their racist deportation policies, argues Sean Ledwith

• 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

• The Rhyming Guide to the Stansted 15

  

  From error to terror, Potent Whisper rhymes in solidarity with the Stansted 15

• Saying never again means resisting in the present

  

  Remembering the Holocaust means remembering the horrific slaughter of Jewish people, but also the resistance and solidarity, and resolving to put 'never again' into practice, writes Dana Mills

• Explo Nani-Kofi: fighting back against the hostile environment

  

  A leading anti-war activist and UK resident of 29 years speaks about the machinations of the Home Office and the campaign to reinstate his indefinite leave to remain

• 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

• Question Time's attacks on Diane Abbott are part of a pattern

  

  The vile treatment of Diane Abbott on the BBC's Question Time fits a theme of undermining left wing voices and pandering to the right, argues Des Freedman

• US Shutdown: Trump’s racism hits the wall

  

  As the shutdown becomes the longest in US history, Sean Ledwith reports on the consequences of Trump's racist antics

• There's no refugee crisis in Britain, only a hostile environment and racist scapegoating

  

  The current Tory-manufactured “refugee crisis” is part of the same hostile environment that this government has created for its own citizens, argues Cathy Augustine

• 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

• Counterfire's books of the year - part one

  

  We asked a few leading campaigners and performers from the left what books have inspired them over the last twelve months

• Migrant Caravan attacked: new leaders, same racism

  

  As Central American asylum seekers are met with tear gas and rubber bullets, Amy O'Donoghue reminds us that state racism is nothing new

• The Apocolypse of Settler Colonialism - book review

  

  Gerald Horne exposes how the Three Horseman of the Apocalypse - Slavery, Capitalism and White Supremacy gave birth to the rise of the West, finds Adam Tomes

• Deport, Deprive, Extradite: 21st Century State Extremism - book review

  

  Deport, Deprive, Extradite exposes the systematic racism lurking behind our supposedly liberal system of civil rights, finds Sean Ledwith

• Trump loses Congress, but the Democrats are not the winners

  

  Last night's results show increasing polarisation in US politics, with establishment politics the loser, argues Shabbir Lakha

• From stop and search to 'hands up, don't shoot'

  

  Stop and search powers continue to be used disproportionately against black and minority ethnic people. Floyd Codlin investigates this ongoing problem

• Migrant Caravan: Trump sends 5000 troops to stop refugees

  

  Thousands of troops have been sent to the US border as Trump vows to stop the Migrant Caravan, reports John Clarke

• 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

• Brazil election: Bolsonaro's victory and the struggle ahead

  

  The victory for far-right Bolsonaro is a dangerous development and it is now a critical moment for the left to unite and win the streets, argues Orlando Hill

• Philip Green: an embodiment of the system not an anomaly

  

  Philip Green is a particularly odious example of the exploitation endemic to capitalism, and our response needs to confront the system that enables him, argues Mona Kamal

• Tommy Robinson and the far right must be driven out of mainstream politics now

  

  We mustn't allow fascists the space or time to strengthen their organisation before we act: the threat is real

• 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

• Be clear: Tommy Robinson is a violent, fascist thug

  

  Don't be fooled by Tommy Robinson's attempts to come across as a man of the people. He is the very opposite of that

• The far right, grooming gangs and racist lies

  

  New far right movements claim that Muslim men are a threat to white girls but this old racist trick should not fool us, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump - book review

  

  Mistaken Identity reveals identity politics as the strategy of defeat, but solidarities are built through engagement in existing movements, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• 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

• The Bolsonaro effect: what now for Brazil?

  

  As Brazil's elections progress to the second round, Orlando Hill examines the prospects for the left in defeating the presidential candidacy of the far right Jair Bolsonaro

• Tommy Robinson and the British army: time to fight back

  

  As the far right continues to mobilise, it's crucial the left pushes them back, writes David McAllister

• 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

• An African in Imperial London - book review

  

  Danell Jones’ biography of an African man living in Edwardian London reveals a remarkable life amid the racism and imperialism of the time, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen

• The 'Heart of Darkness' does not 'smell of victory'

  

  Conrad's portrait of imperialism in turn-of-the-century Congo has much resonance for the contemporary reader, argues Floyd Codlin

• Orange is the new black - analysis

  

  Beyond the sly humour and emotive character interactions lies a story of deep institutional repression and desire for radical new approaches to justice, argues Jago Corry

• Corbyn makes defiant speech as thousands welcome him to Liverpool

  

  At a Labour rally at Liverpool's pier on the eve of Conference, Jeremy Corbyn gave a radical speech to rapturous applause and loud chanting

• Cricklewood attack: it’s not terrorism if it’s Islamophobic

  

  Media reports and the police response to the Islamophobic attack in Cricklewood shows that it's only terrorism if the perpetrators are Muslim argues Shabbir Lakha

• 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

• What Frank Field's resignation tells us about the Labour right's slow coup

  

  Destined for deselection, yet citing antisemitism, the nationalist Leaver's parting shot has been supported by Blairites whose only principle is to smash the left, writes Kevin Ovenden

• National Unity Demonstration against Racism and Fascism: unite against the right

  

  With the far right gaining strength at home and across the continent, this demonstration provides the left with a crucial opportunity to fight back, writes David McAllister 

• 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

• Why Israel is an apartheid state

  

  Israel’s history, from its origins in 1948's Nakba, is characterised by racism, violence and apartheid policies towards Palestinians, explains Sybil Cock

• The fightback is on: hundreds rally behind Corbyn in London

  

  Hundreds of Londoners rallied against the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn and Palestine on Tuesday, Shabbir Lakha reports

• Beyond the veil: some context in the controversy over the burqa

  

  The right instrumentalise Islamophobia but use the liberal trope of universal values to cover up a variety of political contexts, argues Floyd Codlin

• Victory for campaigners as Serco evictions postponed

  

  Glasgow campaigners have halted the attempted eviction of hundreds of asylum seekers, reports Mark Porciani

• 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

• Antisemitism: what the left should say – weekly briefing

  

  We should not apologise for things we haven’t done and we do not shut down a witch-hunt by agreeing with it, argues Lindsey German

• Far right celebrate Tommy Robinson's release from prison

  

  Tommy Robinson's release pending a retrial has been received with jubilation by the far right. Anti-racists need to be prepared to take them on, argues Steph Pike

• Failed: what two decades of the refugee crisis could not teach Europe

  

  Europe's failure to deal with the refugee crisis is resulting in more deaths in the Mediterranean and the growth of the far right argues Eleftheria Kousta

• 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

• Frankenstein at 200

  

  On the anniversary of Mary Shelley's masterpiece, Jacqueline Mulhallen looks beyond the cliches and finds a fable laced with powerful and timely commentary

• The EU: As racist in deed as Trump

  

  Following our mass condemnation of Trump, Reuben Bard-Rosenberg highlights the inherent racism of an organisation closer to home

• The new forces behind the fascist right

  

  A changed threat has emerged in Tommy Robinson's street movement, supported by the international populist right. John Rees looks at how we meet it

• The meaning of Trump

  

  Is Trump a symptom or a cause of the rot at the heart of the US empire, asks Des Freedman

• Together we can defeat Trump, and the Tories too

  

  Opposing Donald Trump can play a role in bringing down our own vicious government

• The Rhyming Guide to Donald Trump

  

  Potent Whisper makes the case for protesting against Donald Trump

• Only a united movement can defeat the far right

  

  Saturday's far right demonstration in support of Tommy Robinson must be opposed directly on the streets

• Why we should all be out protesting against Trump's visit to the UK

  

  We must be united in our opposition to Trump and everything he represents

• Europe's Fault Lines: Racism and the Rise of the Right - book review

  

  In Europe’s Fault Lines, Liz Fekete exposes the links between neoliberal centrism, EU economic policy, and the rise of the far and fascist right, finds Martin Hall

• Success for England will mean what we make it mean

  

  As England prepare to take on Colombia tonight, Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman outlines what we might or might not be able to look forward to

• The Storm Clouds Gather: Is there a future for the European Union?

  

  The gathering crisis in European Union should make it clear the EU provides no haven from racism or austerity

• The far right threat is real and we can't be complacent

  

  After the big Free Tommy Robinson rally in London, the entire left need to get serious about organising against the far right argues Shabbir Lakha

• 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

• Mapping My Way Home - book review

  

  Stephanie Urdang’s memoir reveals her courageous personal involvement in the struggles against apartheid and for national liberation in southern Africa, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen

• After Windrush: this racist government must go - Counterfire Freesheet May 2018

  

  Windrush, May 68, Palestine, UCU strike, Marx and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 025, May 2018

• Rudd down, May to go

  

  Amber Rudd resigning because of popular pressure is a victory and a reminder that what the left does can make a decisive difference argues Chris Nineham

• 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

• Windrush and antisemitism: who’s weaponising what?

  

  The Tories are astonishingly trying to turn the windrush scandal into a knock for Labour and Shabbir Lakha argues that it must not stick

• Systemic Islamophobia in Britain has deadly consequences

  

  The political mainstream's cynical use of Islamophobia leads directly to death and heartbreak, argues Maz Saleem

• 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.

• What Is Islamophobia? - book review

  

  The contributions in What is Islamophobia? show it as a form of racism driven in the first instance by the state and the war on terror, finds Shabbir Lakha

• Racism starts at the top in Britain, and we’re seeing the result with Windrush - weekly briefing

  

  The fight against ruling class divide-and-rule has never been more urgent and the Tory leadership are a sitting target, argues Lindsey German

• The Windrush scandal: It's time to deport Theresa May from office

  

  This terrible scandal shows us that racism is driven primarily from the top of society, not the bottom, argues Kevin Ovenden

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

  

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

• From Jewdas to Skripal: media attacks on Corbyn are out of touch with reality

  

  The British media tells a partial story on racism and its claims against the Labour leader run contrary to the evidence, writes Lindsey German

• France also: a cynical attempt to divide anti-racism in the service of the government right

  

  Unite the left and anti-racist movements in a fight back against cynical right-wing disruption, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Time's up Theresa - Counterfire Freesheet March 2018

  

  Brexit, Corbyn and the Labour right, gender pay gap, commodification of universities and more...

• The Face of Modern Racism

  

  With a refugee crisis of epic proportions, we must be part of the solution, argues Sean Ledwith

• In defence of Stormzy

  

  Following the right wing attacks on Stormzy's Brit Awards intervention, Julie Al-Hinai fights back with a letter to Amanda Platell

• Brexit and change

  

  As the next phase of Brexit kicks in, Brian Heron discusses what the arguments are and what underpins them

• The return of idealism: identity and the politics of oppression

  

  The pervasion of identity politics limits our ability to truly liberate ourselves from oppression, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• 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

• Obituary: A Sivanandan (1923-2018)

  

  Siva’s understanding of race, class and imperialism, and of humanity in general, will continue to inspire resistance to injustice and hope for socialism

• Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation - book review

  

  A new collection of writing about poverty in the US shows that America is broken, but the answer is to join in the struggles on the streets, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh.

• Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews 1933-1949 - book review

  

  David Cesarni’s posthumous Final Solution is an essential and magisterial history on Hitler’s war against Europe’s Jewish population, argues Chris Bambery.

• Institutional racism encouraged the murder of Bijan Ebrahimi

  

  The actions of the authorities showed not only gross neglect, discrimination and injustice but in fact exacerbated hostility towards Ebrahimi, writes Naz Massoumi

• How to understand racism: A review of Great War to Race Riots

  

  A new history of the 1919 race riots locates the dynamics of racism in the context of class, imperialism and wider popular struggles, argues Chris Nineham

• Today’s fringe is tomorrow’s respectable racism - weekly briefing

  

  POTUS' tweets are a symptom not a cause: our side has to start presenting credible alternatives, argues Lindsey German

• Theresa The Appeaser: Trump tweets and Britain First

  

  Trump's tweets have dangerously promoted fascists and Theresa May's weak response exposes the nature of the special relationship with the US argues Shabbir Lakha

• Man gets engaged to woman

  

  Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement is an inspiration to all of us normal folk

• Terror in Egypt, Islamophobia in Britain

  

  The media coverage of the deadly terrorist attack in Egypt that killed 305 people exposes how mainstream Islamophobia is in the UK argues Tony Dowling

• Terrell Decosta: police under scrutiny

  

  The problems with policing are not unique to the US as Terrell Decosta Jones-Burton becomes the latest victim in the UK

• Not fit to govern - Counterfire freesheet November/December 2017

  

  Tory crisis, Catalonia, Universal credit, foreign policy, and more. Counterfire freesheet, November/December 2017

• Racist Trump will never be welcome here

  

  From the repeated attempts to pass the Muslim Ban to attacking NFL players, Trump is racist and is not welcome here argues Maz Saleem

• AfD breakthrough: the threat of fascism never went away

  

  After the far-right party's success in the German election, we must look at the root causes of their rise, if we are to know how to fight back

• Trump’s racist war on US football

  

  Trump's latest rant is likely to increase resistance to him, argues Des Freedman

• Resisting 'America’s first white president': Ta-Nehisi Coates and the politics of despair

  

  The US writer's apocalyptic talk disempowers us at precisely the time when we need to oppose Trump, writes Des Freedman

• Striking while the iron is hot is the only way to win back some of what’s been taken from working people - weekly briefing

  

  As wages continue to fall and workers rights are attacked further, McDonald's and other workers have begun to strike. Lindsey German explains why they are so important.

• Chaos in the White House - weekly briefing

  

  Steve Bannon has been dismissed as the fallout from Charlottesville continues, Sarah Champion has resigned and recent strike success has shown what's possible

• Bannoned: the White House in turmoil

  

  Steve Bannon has gone but the threat remains, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

• Sarah, you're no champion of equality

  

  In a time of resurgent racism, further stigmatisation of ethnic minorities is not just reckless, writes Kara Bryan

• Charlottesville: Trump has made America hate again

  

  US Nazis on manoeuvres is a wake-up call for everyone, argues Sean Ledwith
   

• '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

• Voices from the 'Jungle': Stories from the Calais Refugee Camp - review

  

  The stories of the Calais refugees reveal their struggles and solidarity, as well as their experiences of racism and oppression, finds Tom Griffiths

• Rashan Charles: police racism hasn't gone away

  

  Young black men have every right to fear the police, argues Daniel Kebede

• India’s Hindu supremacist lynching epidemic: Trump, the Tories and the legacies of colonialism

  

  Hindu nationalism and Islamophobia is running rampant in India. Ananya Wilson-Bhattacharya argues its relevance in contemporary politics because of Britain's colonial history.

• Trump sends for the Marines: what could possibly go wrong? - weekly briefing

  

  The Trump administration is like a cross between the declining Roman Empire and a reality show that has gone wrong

• Hackney protests: rage against the Met

  

  The protests that erupted after the death of Rashan Charles were a direct response to police violence

• Too often, black people's deaths are dismissed - video

  

  After Rashan Charles' death, we need to be persistent in our fight against institutional racism, says Shabbir Lakha

• No justice, no peace: Hackney residents demand justice for Rashan Charles

  

  Two days after the death of Rashan Charles in Hackney, protestors took to the streets to express their anger and show solidarity

• No cover up: Justice4Rash

  

  The death of Rashan Charles raises serious questions about institutional racism in the police force

• Islamophobic placards have no place at Pride

  

  With Islamophobic attacks at unprecedented levels, we need unity not division

• First Diane Abbott, now Danièle Obono: the media lynching of black women on the radical Left

  

  Like Diane Abbott, French left-wing politician Danièle Obono feels the sexism and racism of the right-wing establishment, writes Susan Ram

• Multiracial, working class unity in the fight to get justice for Grenfell Tower residents

  

  The emergence of a united, multiracial working class has the power to deliver justice for Grenfell and get rid of the Tories, writes Tom Whittaker

• The people of Liverpool send the EDL packing

  

  The EDL's visit to Liverpool ended in humiliation, reports Madeline Heneghan

• Our fight against the Tories is a fight against racism

  

  The Conservatives are scapegoating Muslims, ethnic minorities and migrants to justify their unpopular policies

• Vote Labour and prepare to fight - Counterfire freesheet May 2017

  

  The general election, French politics and more - Counterfire freesheet edition 018, May 2017

• W.E.B. Du Bois: Revolutionary Across the Color Line

  

  This biography reveals W.E.B. Du Bois as a radical and revolutionary thinker who challenged capitalism, imperialism and racism, finds Adam Tomes

• A prince among racists retires

  

  The Duke of Edinburgh is an insufferable bigot who represents the acceptable face of racism

• The end of UKIP?

  

  Following the referendum, and more noticeably recently, UKIP has dived in the polls and taken a sharp turn to the right

• Ken Livingstone is not an antisemite

  

  The suspension and investigation of Ken Livingstone is a witch-hunt, argues Kara Bryan

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

  

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

• Article 50: how we can shape a People's Brexit

  

  As Theresa May signs off Article 50, Lindsey German takes a look at where we stand

• Theatre review: Othello

  

  The Globe's production of Shakespeare's play is tense and compelling, writes Tom Griffiths

• EU headscarf ruling ‘opens back door to prejudice’

  

  The ruling states that workplaces banning the wearing of a 'political, philosophical or religious sign' are not discriminatory

• Uniting the fight-back against Trump

  

  We must step up the fight against hatred and division, writes Shabbir Lakha

• Its our NHS and we'll fight for it - Counterfire freesheet March 2017

  

  The NHS crisis, mobilising against Trump and more - Counterfire's freesheet edition 016, March 2017 - Counterfire freesheet edition 016, March 2017

• The EU: is this really what anti-racism looks like?

  

  Those who are trying to block Brexit, using anti-racist and pro-migrant arguments need to think again, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Join the movement against Trump

  

  The rising resistance against the US president represents a huge opportunity for those on the left to make the case for a different kind of world

• Standing up to Trump

  

  Campaigners from across the country gathered together to discuss and plan for Stand up to Trump, a coalition with a plan to take on the US president

• The Nandy gang: fake pretenders unite around racism

  

  Beneath the ambition lurks the murky waters of reaction, notes Kevin Ovenden

• The Pumpkinführer’s war on Muslims

  

  The Orange one’s disastrous 10 days in office, reviewed by Kara Bryan

• Trump's Muslim Ban, Theresa May's silence

  

  Trump's Muslim Ban is appalling and Theresa May's refusal to condemn it is outrageous. Organising against both is critical.

• Why we demand free movement of people

  

  We cannot give ground to the racists but must defend free movement of people as one of the most basic of rights

• The Women's Marches are just the beginning

  

  This can be the start of a new wave of dissent, argues Lindsey German

• NHS: never safe in Tory hands - Counterfire freesheet January 2017

  

  The NHS crisis, Durham teaching assistants and defending free movement - Counterfire's freesheet edition 015, January 2017

• Anti-Trump protesters surround Bristol police station after local black man tasered

  

  Furious chorus of 'No justice, no peace - No to racist police!' as over 400 people block a main road in rush hour - Jack Hazeldine reports

• No to Trump: standing up against hate

  

  Trump’s inauguration will be marked by worldwide protest, Shabbir Lakha explains why we should be organised and united against the new US President

• Selling Apartheid: South Africa's Global Propaganda War

  

  Ron Nixon’s Selling Apartheid shows how money and power can be used to promote even the most immoral and distasteful of causes, finds Jacqueline Mulhallen

• Trump's new Horsemen of the Apocalypse

  

  As President-elect becomes President, Sean Ledwith takes a look at the Trump administration

• Exit Obama: the strange death of American liberalism

  

  After eight years of Democratic rule, the American brand of liberalism that accompanied the country’s rise to global hegemony looks exhausted

• Lindsey German debates Brexit on Sky News - video

  

  Lindsey German debates the issues surrounding Brexit with Michael Gove and others on Sky News

• Marxism and Women's Liberation

  

  Buy online: A cutting edge guide to the way class and women's oppression intersect, and how emancipation must be linked to system change

• The Casey Review: Islamophobia and integration

  

  The Casey report will only add to the level of hostility and suspicion that Muslims face daily argues Chris Nineham

• America's Addiction to Terrorism

  

  In this comprehensive account of social issues rooted in the neoliberal reign of terror, Henry Giroux provides a crucial critique of free-market fundamentalism in 2016, finds Shabbir Lakha

• Jo Cox murder: terrorism and double standards

  

  Why Thomas Mair, the white supremacist terrorist who murdered Jo Cox MP, should have been prosecuted for terrorism

• 'Brexit: what should the left be fighting for?' with Lindsey German - video

  

  What does Brexit mean? What should we be demanding? Lindsey German takes on these questions in the second talk of our new series, tackling the big issues of the day

• 'The Trump Disaster' with John Rees - video

  

  How did Trump win? What do we do now? John Rees takes on these questions in the first talk of our new series, tackling the big issues of the day

• BBC: Providing a platform for fascism

  

  On Remembrance Sunday, Andrew Marr and the BBC decided to air an interview with Marine Le Pen reports Shabbir Lakha

• 10 points about Trump

  

  We must fight for an alternative to barbarism, argues Lindsey German

• Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?

  

  This short, sharp and powerful collection of essays is a stirring inspiration in the search for liberation and justice, finds Adam Tomes

• The Trump victory: how it happened and how to respond - part 2

  

  Counterfire publishes more reactions to Trump's election, as world politics is thrown into crisis once again

• The Trump victory: how it happened and how to respond - part 1

  

  Counterfire publishes more reactions to the US elections, as world politics is thrown into crisis once again

• Fire, turmoil, and abandonment in Calais

  

  French authorities and the British Home Office have washed their hands of remaining refugees in Calais, explains Shabbir Lakha

• Calais: Europe's shame

  

  The closure of the Calais camp is an act of barbarity, but solidarity with refugees remains strong, argues Shabbir Lakha  

• Press regulation: we must condemn the Sun’s racist abuse

  

  Connecting terrorism with Islam, as Sun columnist Kelvin MacKenzie did, is not intellectually respectable - no matter what Ipso says

• Calais: the British government's abject failure

  

  The government is not just being bureaucratic, it’s deliberately shirking its responsibilities, argues Shabbir Lakha

• Cable Street: organised racism and capitalist crisis

  

  We must keep the spirit of Cable Street alive by confronting organised racism and fighting the effects of the capitalist crisis, argues Feyzi Ismail

• Hungary: big defeat for Viktor Orbán

  

  In spite of its desperate campaign, the Hungarian government failed to mobilise enough voters to support its anti-refugee policy, writes Bob Oxley

• 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

• The immigration issue: how should the left respond?

  

  The left must be uncompromising in asserting some fundamental arguments against immigration controls, racism and austerity, argues Kevin Ovenden

• Battle of Cable Street: the fight against fascism

  

  As the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street approaches, Chris Bambery looks at the events that took place in 1936 Britain and the lessons we can take from them

• Len, A Lawyer in History

  

  Len, A Lawyer in History is the important story of Leonard Weinglass and other activist lawyers in the US who represented people targeted for their politics, finds Alan Wieder

• 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

• Playing games in the face of barbarism - the rising fascism across Europe

  

  While Owen Smith and the Labour right play political football with antisemitism, Kevin Ovenden looks at the serious rise in fascism across Europe

• Tupac Shakur: Rap Revolution

  

  A look at the political life of Tupac Shakur, and the implications for today's black movement, from Sean Ledwith

• Burkini ban: we must oppose this blatant Islamophobia

  

  As France imposes this draconian ban, Lindsey German states why we must say no - clearly and unequivocally

• Modern slavery finds its roots in capitalism

  

  As Theresa May declares her intention to stamp out slavery, John Westmoreland delves into the roots of its modern form

• Make America hate again? Trump, the Republicans and US decline

  

  Sean Ledwith considers Donald Trump's ascendancy within the context of the history of the Republican Party and American power

• Socialist Register 2016: The Politics of the Right

  

  The rise of the populist right shows that the centre cannot hold, and a socialist alternative is the only solution, argues Elaine Graham-Leigh

• Immigration detention and the private sector: state coercion on the cheap

  

  A support group gathers disturbing testimony from people deported by commercial contractors, reports Lotte LS

• Brexit from afar: a view from the Balkans

  

  Dragan Plavšić offers an alternative take on Britain’s decision to leave the EU, the rise in racist incidents, and considers parallels with Yugoslavia 

• 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 

• Don't confuse criticism with bullying

  

  We should not allow the attempt to turn concerns about sexism and racism into a weapon for the right to beat the left, writes Lindsey German

• Black Lives Matter spreads to Britain

  

  As racist attacks escalate in the US, and continue in the UK, the show of solidarity from Britain's streets is inspiring, writes Shabbir Lakha

• How the left should deal with the referendum results

  

  With many of the old political certainties breaking up, Lindsey German argues that the left have to rise to the challenge.

• This vote was about far more than immigration

  

  The vote to leave the EU was fuelled by class divisions, argues Alastair Stephens

• Looking beyond the Referendum

  

  Whatever the outcome, the left will have to unite after the referendum to fight against racism, austerity and war argues Lindsey German.