Anti-racists hold firm against anti-refugee protest in Llanelli

[ad_1]

News

The far right and racists are mobilizing against refugees housed at Stradey Park Hotel

By Tom Axis-Evans

PDF download. Please wait…

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Number 2864

Anti-racism chant, ‘Refugees are welcome here’, near the Stradey Park Hotel (Picture: Socialist Worker)

Anti-racists took a stand in Llanelli on Saturday against the far right and racists, who were protesting against the accommodation of refugees in a local hotel.

Around 40 people faced a 140-person anti-refugee protest outside the Stradey Park Hotel in the West Wales town. The crowd of racists gathered around the hotel doors and then moved towards the counter-protest, which was across the road.

The anti-racists chanted, Refugees are welcome, fascists are not, and, Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here.

Amarjit Singh, a member of the CWU communications workers’ union, had come to show support from the Welsh trade union federation TUC. If they weren’t there, the racists and bigots would win, he told Socialist Worker. If that happens, the far right will start building a cell in the community and we cannot let that happen.

The hotel has become the focus of racist protests with a regular presence outside. Fascist group Voice for Wales and far-right Ukip party have fueled racist myths about refugees. Unchallenged by Labor and Plaid Cymru, they stoked a reactionary atmosphere in the city.

The Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) counter-demonstration in the city of West Wales has been supported by the TUC union federation of Wales, the FBU firefighters union of Wales, Race Council Cymru, BLM Wales, Asylum Justice , Ethnic Youth Support Team and Race Alliance Wales. .

The anti-refugee demonstration was not made up solely of die-hard fascists and racists, but they were following a course to the right. A majority of the crowd ended up chanting, All lives matter, the racist slogan which is a response to Black Lives Matter.

Llanellihow’s racial hatred has arrived in a small town in Wales

Amarjit added: The far right fuels what is happening. Some of the chants you hear across the road, you wouldn’t hear unless someone on the far right fed them. The labor movement has a big role to play in ensuring that none of its members are part of it.

The far right wants to deflect people’s anger at the way politicians have let Llanelli slip away from power and turn into refugees. Demonstrations outside the hotel drew working-class people such as firefighters and nurses.

It will be a challenge to change the reactionary mood of the city. This can be done through a campaign that challenges racist myths about asylum seekers with the message “Blame the Conservatives, not the Refugees”. An anti-racism festival like the one that helped confront the Nazi British National Party (BNP) in Stoke on Trent in 2009 could help break the reactionary atmosphere.

But above all, the labor and anti-racist movements must mobilize to outnumber the far right and the racists outside the Stradey Park Hotel.

ENDS

[ad_2]