Counterfire log in

Black Lives Matter

'The police have beat the shit out of me': justice for Mohamud Mohammed Hassan

The death of a 24 year old black man after being in South Wales Police custody and their refusal to release bodycam footage has caused outrage, reports Yonas Makoni
The government’s war on the left and anti-racism

The Tory ban on ‘anti-capitalist teaching materials’ in schools is a clear attempt to stifle dissent, writes Holly Barrow
Why Trumpism must be defeated: reactions to the Capitol chaos

Some immediate thoughts on the scenes of armed Trump supporters taking over the Capitol building on Wednesday
2020: the year the mask fell off

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead
Not guilty: defend the Bristol activists who tore down Colston

The prosecution against the four Black Lives Matter activists who pulled down Edward Colston's statue must be stopped, argues Shabbir Lakha
Black Lives Matter and the terraces: the defenders take the lead

Opposition to taking the knee, an anti-racist action popularised by a global movement, shows how far there's still to go in tackling racism in football
Windrush continued: the government's mass deportations must be stopped

Government plans to deport another 50 black people on 2 December in a continuation of the racist hostile environment must be opposed urgently
Racism and football: Black Lives Matter, but not for long

Following the resignation of FA chairman Greg Clarke for racist comments, Tony Dowling looks at how football's governing bodies are letting black players down
Failing black people, Muslims and women: the EHRC isn’t fit for purpose

A new Parliamentary report, David Goodhart’s appointment and the exoneration of the BBC show that the EHRC is incapable of dealing with institutional discrimination
The use and abuse of Black History Month

We cannot let the revolutionary fervour of the black struggle be downplayed, nor forget the lessons to be learned
Why Black History Month matters

Floyd Codlin responds to right wing attacks on Black History Month
End Sars, Buhari must go: London rallies in solidarity with Nigeria

Hundreds of protesters marched through London to call for an end to state violence in Nigeria and for the resignation of the President, reports Shabbir Lakha
End Sars: Solidarity with Nigeria protests against state violence

Protests against police brutality in Nigeria continue to escalate and have been met with horrific violence, writes Jamal Elaheebocus
American carnage: this is chapter 1 of the crisis - video

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome
US torn by crises as election looms

Ahead of the US elections, John Clarke considers the balance of forces, the dangers of a second Trump term and the intensifying crisis whatever the outcome
From Nixon to Trump: Lessons of the 1968 election

As Trump looks to shore up populism for his re-election during the BLM upsurge, Sean Ledwith draws upon parallels with 1968
'Enough' is enough: an interview with Slovo's Dave Randall

The author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music and founder of south London music collective Slovo speaks to Mayer Wakefield
Where does racism come from? - video

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Shabbir Lakha looks at the roots of racism and what that means for the struggle against it
Business as usual for police brutality

Black Lives Matter has put racist police brutality in the spotlight, but the police continue to operate with impunity, writes John Clarke
This country is non-functioning: Black Lives Matter resets itself after Kenosha

As Trump and the far right try to capitalise on urban unrest, pro athletes take the movement to new heights, reports Kate O’Neil
Another day, another U-turn: Boris Johnson is vulnerable - CounterBlast

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith
Jacob Blake and Kenosha: the chickens are still coming home to roost

Kate O’Neil reflects on the US empire’s latest eruption of racism and violence
Why we need to defund the police and disarm the state

As part of a series on what next for Black Lives Matter, we repost this article exploring the demand to defund the police
Portland rises against Trump’s iron heel

The Black Lives Matter uprising in Portland isn't backing down in the face of violence from Trump's troops, reports Sean Ledwith
The Starmer supremacy: Labour is now on the wrong side of the struggles that matter

Starmer's stampede to the right means that socialists will need to reach beyond the Labour Party to build a fighting left, argues Chris Nineham
The Labour leadership isn’t serious about anti-racism - CounterBlast

Starmer isn't fighting racism, he's fighting the left, writes Lucy Nichols
BLM and the labour movement come together - Chris Smalls interview

Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change
US workers strike for black lives

Across the US, tens of thousands of workers joined a walkout against systemic racism and for fundamental social and economic change
Black Lives Matter in a time of pandemic

Nearly two months on from George Floyd’s brutal killing, the struggle against racist police violence is contending with a catastrophic resurgence of Covid-19, writes Susan Ram
Organise. Agitate. Strike! - Tunnel Vision July 2020

The third issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision covering the fight ahead on the London Underground, the jobs slaughter, funding cuts, Black Lives Matter and more
London demands justice for Breonna Taylor in seventh week of BLM protests

Saturday's march for Breonna Taylor underlines the continuing determination of the movement seven weeks on, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
UK police: racist to the core - CounterBlast

Institutional racism is not just a concept that applies to the US but a very real fact for people of colour in the UK, argues Shabbir Lakha
Macron switches prime minister as his Thatcherite plan flounders

As pressure from a number of fronts increases, Macron's position weakens, argues John Mullen
Tory policy: eat, drink, be merry because tomorrow… well you know the rest – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on government idiocy, Black Lives Matter and Starmer’s Thermidor
Starmer is moving Labour to the right 'brutally and rapidly': a CLP secretary’s resignation statement

Socialists should focus their energies on building the extra-parliamentary left, argues Terina Hine in her statement resigning as Cities of London and Westminster CLP secretary
Five films on the black struggle

As Black Lives Matter continues to make gains, Counterfire writers discuss a personal selection of films concerning race and class in the US and UK
Olive Morris: British Black Panther, squatter and radical activist

In the week Olive Morris would have turned 68, Julie Al-Hinai remembers the radical black activist and her contribution to the movement
London marches for Shukri Abdi

A march for justice for Shukri Abdi advances another important campaign in the battle against systemic racism, reports Lucy Nichols
The UK is systemically racist: the fight has just begun

Luna Williams, a political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, writes for Counterfire on racism in the UK
Maxine Peake is right: US and Israeli state violence is linked

Pointing out the link between US police brutality and Israel’s barbaric tactics against Palestinians is no conspiracy theory, argues Shabbir Lakha
Sacking Long-Bailey is a disgrace: it's proof Starmer is leading a witch-hunt against the left - CounterBlast 25 June

There can no longer be any doubt, Starmer is leading a witch-hunt against the left in Labour at a time when the Tories are in maximum disarray, writes Chris Nineham
Erasing empire has to end: why schools need to decolonise the curriculum

Decolonising the curriculum and supporting BAME children at school is a critical step towards tackling systemic racism, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Small Island - theatre review

This week the National Theatre are streaming their acclaimed production of Andrea Levy's Small Island from last year. On Windrush Day, we repost Katherine Connelly's review of that production
Reconstruction in the USA: Black freedom denied - part 2

In the second of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland explores the successes of Reconstruction, and the subsequent attempt to airbrush them from history
The movement that can dump Trump – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter impact on US politics and the floundering Tories
Racism is systemic, so why are we still talking about privilege?

Locating racism as rooted in capitalism is key to building the kind of movement that can end it, argues Shabbir Lakha
Staying in the streets: Black Lives Matter protests continue across the UK

Black Lives Matter protests continued in cities and towns all over the country for a fourth week
Reconstruction in the USA: Black freedom denied - part 1

In the first of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland examines the contradictions of American society which laid the basis for black oppression to persist after the Civil War
Don’t let the dust settle on Cecil Rhodes

The agreement to remove Cecil Rhodes’s statue is a big win for the movement and shows that protest works, argues David Jordan
Black history you can’t be without: Nine books on the struggle

A reading list of nine essential books on black history and the struggle against racism
From fighting pandemic to fighting police brutality

Jillian Primiano, a registered nurse, speaks to Spring Magazine about fighting COVID-19, racism and health, and the movement for police abolition
Black footballers shame Tory ignorance on poverty and racism - CounterBlast 17 June

Boris Johnson’s hope that the return of the Premier League will distract us from his criminal incompetence is likely to be misplaced as a new generation of politicised black footballers emerges, writes Sean Ledwith
The racist brutality of Canada’s police

Police brutality and wider societal marginalisation of people will be challenged as the BLM movement gathers pace, says John Clarke
The coming culture war - CounterBlast 15 June

No amount of Westminster window-dressing can dampen this global revolt against racism, writes Lucy Nichols
The good, the bad and the ugly – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter movement and its impact
Black Lives Matter protest marches through South London

Hundreds marched from Burgess Park demanding justice for George Floyd and justice for Grenfell, reports Cici Washburn
Reclaiming our history

Behind the symbolism of statues lies a more fundamental battle over the reality of British racism, past and present, argues John Westmoreland
Black Lives Matter protests continue to spread across the UK

Around the country, thousands of people marched, knelt and shouted against racism on Saturday. We report on some of the local Black Lives Matter protests
Fascist thugs attack anti-racist protesters in London

The police failed Black Lives Matter protesters who were attacked by fascists in Trafalgar Square, reports Steph Pike
Democratic history challenges imperialist and racist history

Dominic Alexander explains how black history is intrinsically connected to the history of the working class
Don’t let cynical ploys derail BLM - CounterBlast 13 June

The Black Lives Matter movement in the UK is coming under pressure from a number of directions, writes Alex Snowdon
London: BLM protesters keep up the pressure

Protesters march to Trafalgar Square after inspiring rally in Hyde Park to continue the renewed fight against systemic racism, reports Harry Welch
Boris Johnson, statues and staying in the streets

As Johnson launches lazy attacks on the movement, now is no time to retreat, argues Lindsey German
The uprising on Trump's doorstep: Black Lives Matter in DC

The Black Lives Matter protests in Washington DC are taking the fight straight to Trump, reports Shabbir Lakha based on an interview with Sarah Govan
Prestwich takes the knee for George Floyd

Activists in North Manchester gathered for a local socially-distanced Black Lives Matter protest, reports Penny Hicks
Statues come tumbling down - CounterBlast 10 June

The growing campaign to remove racist iconography takes us nearer a progressive and decolonised curriculum for future generations argues Sean Ledwith
Black Lives Matter, the sixties and socialist organisation - video

Lindsey German interviews Tariq Ali on the Black Lives Matter protests, their significance and the struggles ahead
Boot the Wellington: The growing resistance to Glasgow's colonial monuments

Christine Whyte reports on the growing movement of resistance to the slave traders and colonialists commemorated on Glasgow's streets
Tearing down Colston's statue is not destroying history, it is illuminating it

Archaeologist Kevin Potter on why the statue of Edward Colston obscured the past
Black people protesting racism are not thugs - CounterBlast 8 June

Johnson’s attempt to demonise protesters in Bristol reveals his true colours, argues Lucy Nichols
Fred Hampton: Black Panther and red revolutionary

Fred Hampton's politics are a lesson in how to fight racism and capitalism together, argues Sean Ledwith
#BLM: Doncaster steps up

This weekend's protest in Doncaster was an important action in the battle against those who would misrepresent the town, argues Mick Wattam
A turning point against racism – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on fighting oppression and the continuing Covid crisis
Don't blame the protesters for the virus

It's the government endangering people's lives, not protesters, argues Shabbir Lakha
From BLM to decolonising Bristol

Black Lives Matter protests in Bristol brought its citizens face-to-face with its ugly past, a ground report by Susan Newman and Jeni Van Heerden
Why pulling down Colston's statue was right

Bristol's Tom Whittaker on the impact of kicking over a symbol of oppression
Why I'm angry: People's Assembly Youth Takeover

Shabbir Lakha speaks on a People's Assembly platform on Black Lives Matter protests, racism and the pandemic in Britain and how we fight back
Ten days that shook America

The brave defiance of the protesters in America has the ruling class in retreat, argues Chris Nineham
Noughts + Crosses: a reverse reality that illustrates systemic racism - review

Despite some dubious changes, this BBC adaptation of Malorie Blackman's exploration of race and class is well worth watching, says Shabbir Lakha
London on the march: Black Lives Matter

At a second mass demonstration in London, thousands of protesters gathered in Hyde Park to racist police violence in the US and here, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
Justice for George Floyd: model resolution and window poster

Counterfire has produced a model resolution you can pass in your organisation and a poster you can download to put on your window or in your area
Where are the US protests going? - interview with Chris Smalls

Counterfire's Shabbir Lakha interviewed Chris Smalls, former Amazon employee and now an organiser, about the protests sweeping across the US against racist police violence
Black lives matter: Brixton takes to the streets

A young angry crowd marched to oppose the murder of George Floyd and highlight racism and police brutality in the UK, reports Dave Randall
Minneapolis: a popular revolt against racism

The current unrest in Minneapolis is an explosive response to endemic police racism, writes Sean Ledwith
London demands justice for George Floyd

"No justice, no peace" rang out on the streets of London as protesters marched in solidarity with Minneapolis, reports Lucy Nichols
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
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

Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter

The death of a 24 year old black man after being in South Wales Police custody and their refusal to release bodycam footage has caused outrage, reports Yonas Makoni

The Tory ban on ‘anti-capitalist teaching materials’ in schools is a clear attempt to stifle dissent, writes Holly Barrow

Some immediate thoughts on the scenes of armed Trump supporters taking over the Capitol building on Wednesday

Shabbir Lakha reflects on a tumultuous year and what we must remember for the fight ahead

The prosecution against the four Black Lives Matter activists who pulled down Edward Colston's statue must be stopped, argues Shabbir Lakha

Opposition to taking the knee, an anti-racist action popularised by a global movement, shows how far there's still to go in tackling racism in football

Government plans to deport another 50 black people on 2 December in a continuation of the racist hostile environment must be opposed urgently

Following the resignation of FA chairman Greg Clarke for racist comments, Tony Dowling looks at how football's governing bodies are letting black players down

A new Parliamentary report, David Goodhart’s appointment and the exoneration of the BBC show that the EHRC is incapable of dealing with institutional discrimination

We cannot let the revolutionary fervour of the black struggle be downplayed, nor forget the lessons to be learned

Floyd Codlin responds to right wing attacks on Black History Month

Hundreds of protesters marched through London to call for an end to state violence in Nigeria and for the resignation of the President, reports Shabbir Lakha

Protests against police brutality in Nigeria continue to escalate and have been met with horrific violence, writes Jamal Elaheebocus

Speaking at a recent Counterfire public meeting, David Bush explains the multi-layered crisis facing the US and why the election isn't going to be the end, whatever the outcome

Ahead of the US elections, John Clarke considers the balance of forces, the dangers of a second Trump term and the intensifying crisis whatever the outcome

As Trump looks to shore up populism for his re-election during the BLM upsurge, Sean Ledwith draws upon parallels with 1968

The author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music and founder of south London music collective Slovo speaks to Mayer Wakefield

As part of a series on Marxism in the Modern World, Shabbir Lakha looks at the roots of racism and what that means for the struggle against it

Black Lives Matter has put racist police brutality in the spotlight, but the police continue to operate with impunity, writes John Clarke

As Trump and the far right try to capitalise on urban unrest, pro athletes take the movement to new heights, reports Kate O’Neil

Pressure from below has forced the Johnson government into crucial retreats on exam grades and face coverings, writes Sean Ledwith

Kate O’Neil reflects on the US empire’s latest eruption of racism and violence

As part of a series on what next for Black Lives Matter, we repost this article exploring the demand to defund the police

The Black Lives Matter uprising in Portland isn't backing down in the face of violence from Trump's troops, reports Sean Ledwith

Starmer's stampede to the right means that socialists will need to reach beyond the Labour Party to build a fighting left, argues Chris Nineham

Starmer isn't fighting racism, he's fighting the left, writes Lucy Nichols

Shabbir Lakha speaks to Chris Smalls in the US about the Strike for Black Lives, his organisation The Congress of Essential Workers and the possibilities for fundamental change

Across the US, tens of thousands of workers joined a walkout against systemic racism and for fundamental social and economic change

Nearly two months on from George Floyd’s brutal killing, the struggle against racist police violence is contending with a catastrophic resurgence of Covid-19, writes Susan Ram

The third issue of the Rank & File bulletin Tunnel Vision covering the fight ahead on the London Underground, the jobs slaughter, funding cuts, Black Lives Matter and more

Saturday's march for Breonna Taylor underlines the continuing determination of the movement seven weeks on, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

Institutional racism is not just a concept that applies to the US but a very real fact for people of colour in the UK, argues Shabbir Lakha

As pressure from a number of fronts increases, Macron's position weakens, argues John Mullen

Lindsey German on government idiocy, Black Lives Matter and Starmer’s Thermidor

Socialists should focus their energies on building the extra-parliamentary left, argues Terina Hine in her statement resigning as Cities of London and Westminster CLP secretary

As Black Lives Matter continues to make gains, Counterfire writers discuss a personal selection of films concerning race and class in the US and UK

In the week Olive Morris would have turned 68, Julie Al-Hinai remembers the radical black activist and her contribution to the movement

A march for justice for Shukri Abdi advances another important campaign in the battle against systemic racism, reports Lucy Nichols

Luna Williams, a political correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service, writes for Counterfire on racism in the UK

Pointing out the link between US police brutality and Israel’s barbaric tactics against Palestinians is no conspiracy theory, argues Shabbir Lakha

There can no longer be any doubt, Starmer is leading a witch-hunt against the left in Labour at a time when the Tories are in maximum disarray, writes Chris Nineham

Decolonising the curriculum and supporting BAME children at school is a critical step towards tackling systemic racism, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

This week the National Theatre are streaming their acclaimed production of Andrea Levy's Small Island from last year. On Windrush Day, we repost Katherine Connelly's review of that production

In the second of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland explores the successes of Reconstruction, and the subsequent attempt to airbrush them from history

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter impact on US politics and the floundering Tories

Locating racism as rooted in capitalism is key to building the kind of movement that can end it, argues Shabbir Lakha

Black Lives Matter protests continued in cities and towns all over the country for a fourth week

In the first of a two-part analysis, John Westmoreland examines the contradictions of American society which laid the basis for black oppression to persist after the Civil War

The agreement to remove Cecil Rhodes’s statue is a big win for the movement and shows that protest works, argues David Jordan

A reading list of nine essential books on black history and the struggle against racism

Jillian Primiano, a registered nurse, speaks to Spring Magazine about fighting COVID-19, racism and health, and the movement for police abolition

Boris Johnson’s hope that the return of the Premier League will distract us from his criminal incompetence is likely to be misplaced as a new generation of politicised black footballers emerges, writes Sean Ledwith

Police brutality and wider societal marginalisation of people will be challenged as the BLM movement gathers pace, says John Clarke

No amount of Westminster window-dressing can dampen this global revolt against racism, writes Lucy Nichols

Lindsey German on the Black Lives Matter movement and its impact

Hundreds marched from Burgess Park demanding justice for George Floyd and justice for Grenfell, reports Cici Washburn

Behind the symbolism of statues lies a more fundamental battle over the reality of British racism, past and present, argues John Westmoreland

Around the country, thousands of people marched, knelt and shouted against racism on Saturday. We report on some of the local Black Lives Matter protests

The police failed Black Lives Matter protesters who were attacked by fascists in Trafalgar Square, reports Steph Pike

Dominic Alexander explains how black history is intrinsically connected to the history of the working class

The Black Lives Matter movement in the UK is coming under pressure from a number of directions, writes Alex Snowdon

Protesters march to Trafalgar Square after inspiring rally in Hyde Park to continue the renewed fight against systemic racism, reports Harry Welch

As Johnson launches lazy attacks on the movement, now is no time to retreat, argues Lindsey German

The Black Lives Matter protests in Washington DC are taking the fight straight to Trump, reports Shabbir Lakha based on an interview with Sarah Govan

Activists in North Manchester gathered for a local socially-distanced Black Lives Matter protest, reports Penny Hicks

The growing campaign to remove racist iconography takes us nearer a progressive and decolonised curriculum for future generations argues Sean Ledwith

Lindsey German interviews Tariq Ali on the Black Lives Matter protests, their significance and the struggles ahead

Christine Whyte reports on the growing movement of resistance to the slave traders and colonialists commemorated on Glasgow's streets

Archaeologist Kevin Potter on why the statue of Edward Colston obscured the past

Johnson’s attempt to demonise protesters in Bristol reveals his true colours, argues Lucy Nichols

Fred Hampton's politics are a lesson in how to fight racism and capitalism together, argues Sean Ledwith

This weekend's protest in Doncaster was an important action in the battle against those who would misrepresent the town, argues Mick Wattam

Lindsey German on fighting oppression and the continuing Covid crisis

It's the government endangering people's lives, not protesters, argues Shabbir Lakha