Stand Up To Racism is pressing ahead with its planned demonstration to coincide with UN Anti-Racism day during a Zoom event at which people will be invited to take the knee as part of a national demonstration.
Following the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the vigil held in memory of Sarah Everard on 13 March, at which the police grabbed and arrested women to stop the gathering due to Covid-19 restrictions, Islington branch’s Convenor, Paul Holborow is keen to assure people that there are no plans for the 20 March demonstration on Newington Green to be rescheduled and it will be safe to attend.
Taking the knee will be followed by an international Zoom meeting with speakers from around the world, including from America, South America, Eastern Europe and Australia.
Holborow says: “The shocking, shocking events of last weekend regarding Sarah Everard just highlight the appalling sexism in society. But also, the truth is that she was a conventionally blonde woman. So you do have to wonder how many women of colour have just suffered in silence, with no publicity whatsoever as well.”
The Sarah Everard case has meant that many missing women of colour have been pushed to the forefront of the discussion of women’s safety. Names such as Blessing Olusegun and sisters Bibaa and Nicole Smallan have gone under the mainstream media’s radar but they are names that matter to Stand Up to Racism and its members.
The weekend also raised awareness of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. The bill will allow police to have more control over protests, including being able to impose start and end times and set noise limits to protests. Most controversial of all, it will make non-violent protests that cause “serious annoyance” or are too “noisy” punishable with a fine or up to ten years in prison.
The bill has been heavily criticised by members of the Labour Party for, “‘making protecting statues more important than punishing rape”.
In response to the bill, Holborow says: “[It’s] absolutely attacking our right to protest. So, that makes Saturday, I think, even more important than when we had the meeting in Islington just a couple of weeks ago.”
Saturday’s demonstration will be “a mobilisation of tens of thousands of people. So Black, White, Asian origin, and so on. And as far as Newington Green is concerned, obviously, it will be really socially responsible”, as per government guidelines.
Holborow is also aware that they may have to “call it off” to protect supporters, but he sincerely hopes that won’t be the case and that the event can continue on Saturday peacefully. “We hope to connect with our supporters in Berlin, Rome, Athens, Paris, Copenhagen, and so on.”
They will also rally via social media for those who are unable to attend in person, creating a “European trending Twitter storm” which will help to raise awareness for the anti-racism agenda as well as pushing people to the big event. A 5pm Zoom call after the 1pm rally will be hosted with guest speakers from across the globe.
“It’s our chance to give the anti-racists the airtime,” Holborow tells me passionately, “for too long the racists have received all the airtime from UK tabloids, it’s so pathetic”.
He continues: “We’re trying to give people who are anti-racist a community to help them no matter where they are. Work, at home, in the classroom, at university, wherever. When you get that casual racist remark, then people who are anti-racist have the confidence to say ‘no we’re not taking that anymore’”.
In the lead up to the event, Stand up to Racism has asked many activists and anti-racists to create videos on why the demonstration is so important to them.
Humza Yousaf, the SNP Scottish Justice Minister, showed his support for the cause in video form. He says: “Some people think we’re immune in Scotland, some people think we aren’t as bad as other parts of the world but there is racism here in Glasgow and of course, right across Scotland.”
Yousaf also mentions the rise of the far right and how he and his family have been subject to harassment onTwitter. “I’ve been [the far right’s] target for many, many years. […] At the start, there would just be Twitter posts and the odd bit of racial abuse or Islamophobic abuse, but now I recieve death threats along with my family, including my young children. So they are feeling more empowered than ever before.”
Rumoured to be sending a video is former Labour leader and long-time friend of Holborow, Jeremy Corbyn. “We have lots of arguments about the Labour Party and it’s aspirations, but I’m a keen socialist,” Holborow says with a chuckle.
