Over a year ago, the far right weaponised a brutal, senseless murder spree to try and bring violence and division to the north-western English seaside town of Southport. And this weekend, fascists are planning to descend on the town, again. So local people are encouraging support for a counter-demonstration to show that racist hatred is not welcome.
In a statement, Merseyside Anti-Fascist Network called on:
everyone who believes in unity, solidarity, and equality to join a counter-demonstration in Southport on Sunday, October 26.
It urged people to:
Bring your friends, your neighbours, your union banners, and your voices. Let’s show that our community stands united, proud, and unafraid.
It explained that:
Those who thrive on division and hate plan to march from Ocean Plaza at midday.
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Southport locals: No repeat of the 2024 riot!
The statement insisted:
We will not allow the far right to claim our streets or dictate who belongs in our community. When hate is allowed to take root, it does not stop — and we have already seen what that leads to.
The last time reactionary forces descended on Southport, it ended in a riot that tore through our town. We cannot and will not let that happen again.
Last year, rioters brought destruction to Southport. But the local community pulled together to clear up their mess:
With local builders and local businesses coming out to help with rebuilding the wall [of the mosque], clearing things up, sweeping everything up.
As local councillor Sean Halsall told us after the riot, “the community came together very, very quickly”. He asserted that this “demonstrates what Southport’s about… It’s an amazing place and I think people have pride in the town.”
Addressing the nature of the people rioting, Halsall stressed that:
The rioters seemed to be a mix of the nation’s far right, with a few BNP names being pointed out to me at the vigil, Patriotic Alternative and EDL. There were a few local people but the majority seemed to be from far and wide.
A town that’s “strong because of its diversity, not despite it”
The statement added:
We stand for a Southport that is strong because of its diversity, not despite it. Working people — whatever our background, race, faith, or identity — share common struggles and common hopes. It is only when we stand together that we can build a fairer, safer future.
It also put the far right’s actions into a context of severe neglect by the political establishment, saying:
The anger that groups like this feed on has been stoked by years of political neglect. Both the current Labour government and the previous Conservative ones have failed to meet working people’s basic needs. Decades of cuts, inequality, and broken promises have created fertile ground for scapegoating and hate. But turning against each other will never solve the real problems — only solidarity and collective action can.
People in Southport have been organising resistance to the corrupt political establishment and the growing fascism oozing out of it since before the 2024 election. And it has been one of the areas in the country where a strong left-wing independent movement has formed ever since.
Local people clearly have a plan to defeat fascism and its establishment enablers. But when the far right try to spread hate in Southport or anywhere else, there needs to be a strong anti-fascist movement ready to stop them in their tracks. So if you can, get across to support local resistance to fascist provocation this weekend.
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By Ed Sykes
This post was originally published on Canary.