(Text of solidarity anti-racist leaflet)
The horror of the racist violence we saw this week cannot be overstated. We send our utmost solidarity to all those harmed, displaced, and traumatised as a result of the violence, and to all the groups and individuals who have provided inspiring emergency support.
The weaponisation of the brutal attack in North Belfast is despicable, and straight out of the Far-Right’s playbook of exploiting horrific attacks to implement their pre-cooked plans of violence and chaos. – . Of course there is no outrage from the same people over the 30 women killed in the North, mostly by white men known to them, or the gender violence epidemic.
This was a racist pogrom of collective punishment that conjures up images of the worst violence of the Troubles. At least 27 people have been left homeless by the burning of their homes, and hundreds more displaced. This is the third year in a row of escalating widespread racist violence.
The State has abysmally failed in supporting migrants and racialised people. The PSNI stood and watched as homes were attacked. They were reportedly told to only intervene “if there was a serious threat to life”- something they clearly fell short of. We have no illusions in the PSNI being a part of the solution to the violence or the underlying problems, not least because of the misogyny and racism rife within it, but they should be made to answer for their refusal to intervene and protect people’s home and safety. People left homeless by the attacks are receiving no emergency support from Stormont – Instead it fell on ordinary people and activists to look after people in this crisis.
The State must provide immediate support funding and appropriate emergency accommodation for all in need.
Organise to defend communities from racist violence!
CATU, PPR and Anaka Women’s Collective, along with others, have undertaken amazing work to provide safety and support to their neighbours and community members – we send our solidarity to these groups undertaking seismic tasks to support people. Similarly, we saw the best of people in workplaces organising lifts and walking people home in order to keep them safe. We need proactive solidarity and action now, it’s this sentiment that has to be channeled into broader anti- racist actions.
Beyond this it’s necessary for anti-racists in communities to come together on a more consistent basis and defend their areas from racist mobs. This could be a coming together of people who wish to stand against this and have organised defence – activists from the groups who have already provided the amazing support and trade union activists.
The United Against Racism protest today is an important first step in order to send the message that racist violence won’t be accepted. However, this should just be a starting point for building an active anti-racist movement in the North that can push back the tide of racism in our communities.
Where has this come from?
This rampage is in keeping with a pattern of racist violence unfolding over the summer in Northern Ireland – perpetrated by mostly groups of white masked men. Paramilitary involvement was no doubt central to bringing out racist mobs onto the streets, but the racist ideas they espouse have unfortunately gotten a much wider echo. Influential far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage and Elon Musk have tried to further inflame the situation.
However, closer to home, many politicians actively contributed to the violence by leaning into anti-migrant talking points and affirming the racism towards migrants. Paul Givan (DUP MLA) was even seen standing with anti-migrant protesters in Lisburn. Unionist spokespeople, including former First Minister Arlene Foster, are cynically using the issue to demand an end to the ‘open border’ on the island of Ireland – ultimately calling for the reassertion of a patrolled hard border.
The main executive parties, including Sinn Féin and Alliance, have added fuel to the far-right through pro-capitalist, neo-liberal policies, which contribute to the impoverishment and misery which allow parasitic paramilitaries to continue to flourish. To defeat the far right it’s necessary to build a political alternative including breaking this failed system and building a socialist future for all.
The Trade Unions in the North must take immediate action to protect their members and oppose this racist division. The unions here represent hundreds of thousands of workers and can have a significant effect if they are mobilised. It is positive they backed today’s protest but they should go further including calling protests and generalised walkouts. Where workers are threatened there should be immediate walkouts and workers should be backed by the full power of our unions.
