Stop the far right in West Yorkshire

Submitted by SJW on 4 July, 2018 - 12:19 Author: Luke Hardy

On Saturday the 7th of July Leeds has the distinct non pleasure of playing host to two far right marches and rallies as well as the National Front carrying out a demo in Wakefield.

In Leeds the Free Tommy group have twice before in June held demos outside Leeds Crown Court were Stephen Yaxley Lennon aka Tommy Robinson was caught trying to prejudice a trial and then sent down after pleading guilty to Contempt of Court. The first Free Tommy march on the 1st of June was completely unopposed and included a March through the centre of Leeds were there were chants of "Muslims off our streets".

The second Far right march is by a Group called the Yorkshire Patriots who are rallying in City Square outside the train station and want to march through the city centre separately to the Free Tommy demo. This maybe a rouse and the two groups are co ordinating or it could reflect divisions on the far right.

These demos being on the same day is designed deliberately by the fascists to overwhelm opponents capacity to react on the day which is the anniversary of the London Bombings. Some of the perpetrators of these bombings had links to Leeds. In this atmosphere there have already been arson attacks on a mosque and Sikh temple in the city.

In the case of the Labour movement and working class people in general in Leeds it looks like the fascists really aren't going to succeed in overwhelming a counter mobilisation. Every Labour Party CLP in the city has passed motions for people to join the counter mobilisation. The Leeds Labour Campaign Forum has asked all members and party units to mobilise. Regionally Unite the union has contacted all members and asked them to come to Leeds to stop the fascists from Marching. Other unions have also taken a central role mobilising. Coaches are being put on from around the region and the TUC is now co hosting the mobilisation.

This is due to meet outside the Town Hall just adjacent to the courts so with numbers we could make it difficult for any FreeTommy protest at the courts. As long as the numbers turn out it should also stop the Yorkshire Patriots Marching to join the FreeTommy protest.

That is if the TUC and stand up to Racism prioritise stopping the fascists as the main aim.
As for the Yorkshire patriots discussions are ongoing about how we mobilise to stop this group from Marching through the shopping Town even if they can't reach the courts.

Leeds Anti Fascist Network particularly is takobg this threat seriously. Hopefully locals and those from the communities under threat will come out to oppose this faction of the Fascists too.

Meanwhile in Wakefield the National Front rally is being opposed by the local Trades Council. The National Front is a shadow of its former self and riddled with would be fuhrer's who inform on each other to the Police. But they still are lingering on in Wakefield like a bad smell. Hopefully once again they will be outnumbered and embarrassed.

If your in the north of England please mobilise people to come to stop the fascists and racists and make sure division, racism and hate is countered by the politics of equality and solidarity.

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