The Glasgow Defence Campaign condemns this afternoon’s
police attack on Newcastle Fight Racism!
Fight Imperialism! supporters for their role in opposing the racist English
Defence League. We understand 12 anti racists have been arrested and are currently
being detained in Etal Lane police station in Newcastle – 7 were arrested on the protest this afternoon with a further 5 detained following a house
raid. We call on supporters to call the station to demand their release on -
0345 604 3043.
The arrests come on a day where up to 2,000 supporters of the
EDL marched in Newcastle. Secretary for the Glasgow Defence Campaign, Paul
McKenna stated, ‘We condemn today’s police action, the details of the arrests
and actual charges remain sketchy at this stage, but we are concerned to hear
reports that elements from the so called ‘Newcastle Unites’ coalition including
leading members of Newcastle TUC, Newcastle Labour Party and the Socialist Workers
Party worked in collusion with the police to enact what we believe to be targeted
arrests of supporters of FRFI.’
In the weeks and days building towards the counter demonstration
supporters of Fight Racism! Fight
Imperialism! in Newcastle who have a sound record in opposing all forms of
racism faced open hostility including violence and threats of arrest from those
within the coalition of the left who sought to monopolise and control any resistance.
The background to today’s events are explained below in an article published on
the website of the Revolutionary Communist Group on 19 May:
Newcastle Unites: Labour threats escalate
FRFI
supporters in Newcastle have been attempting for weeks to participate in the
mobilisation against the EDL on 25 May, but have been met with violent and
sectarian hostility from the organisers of Newcastle Unites. The figurehead of
Newcastle Unites, Labour councillor Dipu Ahad, has now threatened to set the
police on FRFI and other anti-fascists.
On 15 May Unite Against Fascism
(UAF) North East sent a message inviting FRFI North East to support the
demonstration. We replied confirming that we would attend and support the
demonstration, and would encourage others to do so. Within an hour of accepting
the invitation, Newcastle Unites emailed us:
Dear FRFI,
UAF has forwarded us your recent
email in which you say you will be attending Newcastle Unites demonstration
against the EDL on the 25th May. It is really quite astounding that after
your recent actions in exposing our meeting venue and placing our members at
risk (an act for which you have shown no contrition) you consider that we would
allow you on this demonstration. The organising group of Newcastle Unites
discussed your behaviour at last night's meeting and agreed unanimously not to
allow you to attend either the demonstration or the public meeting. If
you choose to ignore our decision and do turn up you will not be welcome and we
shall take all necessary steps to ensure that you play no part of these
activities.
While Councillor Ahad has made it
clear he wants no violent confrontation against the EDL, he is quite happy to
mobilise his SWP and trade union goons to violently confront genuine
anti-fascists. He stood by
watching whilst SWP thug Yunus Bakhsh and trade union bureaucrat James Simpkin
physically attacked a female comrade and made sexist comments when she tried to
attend a Newcastle Unites organising meeting on 7 May (www.revolutionarycommunist.org/index.php/labourtrade-unions/3012-sw100513). But to avoid addressing this Newcastle
Unitesis making spurious
allegations that FRFI has put others at risk (we responded here:www.revolutionarycommunist.org/index.php/labourtrade-unions/3013-rn0150513).
And we repeat: Councillor Ahad
has inflicted real violence against the working class ofNewcastle by voting for £100 million cuts.
Now in a Facebook posting Ahad
has warned FRFI and other committed anti-fascists that should they attempt to
join the anti-EDL rally, ‘I assure you that you will be thrown out of the demo
and the public meeting by our stewards who will be many. You will also be
reported to the police for causing disorder!’Commenting on a counter-protest to
the EDL in March, Ahad wrote ‘The
Police did a fantastic job...I’m also concerned with about some of our Asian
youths who get excited and also want to cause trouble for the sake of it and
have no respect for the police!’. What
he is admitting is that Asian youth will not listen to him – and why should
they given his support for the cuts and his membership of the racist and
imperialist Labour Party? They know what he is: a ruthless henchman of the
ruling class. But he is isolated, and that is why he needs the likes of Bakhsh
and Simpkinto defend him, and if
they are not enough, the police.
Regardless of the sectarian and
violent behaviour of these individuals, FRFI urges everyone to stand against
the EDL on 25 May. As we have always argued the EDL can only be opposed
effectively as part of a wider struggle against racism, which is inseparable
from the fight against imperialism. No amount of threats from Newcastle Unites
or anybody else will convince us to abandon this struggle.
