Help fund the resistance to the racist offensive

Let's make 2022 the year of anti-racist resistance

The past year has seen the most vicious and systematic racist offensive by a government in living memory.

The Nationalities and Borders Bill takes the hostile environment to new levels, allowing the Government to strip people of their citizenship without notice; and creating an even more deadly situation for refugees seeking a new life in Britain, even after the preventable and tragic drownings in the English Channel.

The Sewell Report denied the existence of Institutional racism despite overwhelming evidence, including racist policing, structural health inequalities & Disprortionate impact of COVID and a mountain of personal testimony including Azeem Rafiq's account of institutional racism in Cricket.

Meanwhile the Policing Bill attempts to make the inspiring Black Lives Matter mobilisations harder by cracking down on the right to protest.

But we've also seen the massive potential for the anti-racist movement in the overwhelming response to the racist abuse faced by black footballers after the Euros including anger at the government for criticising players for taking the knee, and the victory of Pollokshields residents in stopping the removal of their neighbours. Along with the historic Black Lives Matter mobilisations and the ongoing global wave of solidarity that followed, these responses show anti-racists are the majority.

We want 2022 to be the year of resistance to the racist offensive. We have achieved victories already, and with your support and solidarity we can achieve many more. Please give generously and share this fundraiser with friends.

WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED IN 2020

As the year began, the world watched in horror as a fascist mob descended on the US Capitol attempting to overturn the election result and keep hatemonger-in-chief Donald Trump in power. We brought together anti-racists from US and Europe to organise against those that Trump inspires.

As the pandemic reached new heights, we launched a campaign and petition for an investigation into the disproportionate impact of Covid. We also worked with organisations such as the Zero Covid Coalition , People before Profit and trade unions to oppose racist scapegoating and demand more serious action to bring the pandemic under control, alongside support for those who have to self-isolate.

We marked Holocaust Memorial Day with an event featuring the stories of holocaust survivors, their families, those who fought to save Jewish lives and voices representing the Roma and other communities who were targeted by the nazis. In a world where far right and fascist groups continue to deny the Holocaust, this event was aimed at paying tribute to victims of the Nazis and stating clearly "Never Again."

Mobilising opposition to racism in football was a major part of our work in 2021, beginning with the online event above, and culminating in events around the country in solidarity with black footballers subject to racist abuse, most famously in Manchester where a huge crowd gathered in support of Marcus Rashford, who responded on instagram with "Overwhelmed. Thankful. Lost for words ♥️". A large network of fan groups across the country was put together to coordinate support for players taking the knee and opposing attempts by the far-right to infiltrate football grounds.

Working with trade unions to organise in workplaces against racism was another key feature, with a number of events throughout the year on the theme of 'Fighting for anti-racist workplaces' and constant organising with trade union networks on campaigns from challenging institutional racism to decolonising education.

On 20th March we marked UN Anti-Racism day with events across the country linked with actions taking place around the world, culminating in a major online rally bringing together those at the sharp end of racism with those in leadership positions to renew our efforts for a world against racism. A key focus of these mobilisations in Britain was against the policing bill which seeks to crack down on dissent and prevent resistance to the racist offensive.

The government's 'Race Report' was a landmark in denial of institutional racism and victim blaming. In response, we organised with groups fighting institutional racism including the Pimlico school students, trade unions, academics, community groups and All Black Lives who were at the centre of the 2020 BLM protests to assert the reality of systemic racism and the need to tackle it, including a statement that attracted wide support and a public meeting (below).

We marked the anniversary of the Murder of George Floyd with events across the country raising the key demands of the black lives matter mobilisations in the wake of his death, and a major public meeting calling for action against systemic racism.

Building unity against Islamophobia, antisemitism, anti-Roma racism and racism against all communities is a key part of our daily work, and when Hungarian President Viktor Orban was welcomed to London we worked with groups representing a range of communities to stand against his vicious racism, as well as challenging the path the British Government is taking in scapegoating communities to build a racist political base.

The inspiring victory in Pollokshields against a dawn raid was a massive boost to our movement, and we followed up our part in the mobilisation by building opposition to the Nationality & Borders Bill, through lobbying and organising meetings bringing Pollokshiolds activists together with other parts of our movement to discuss taking the migrant rights movement forward.

Our annual conference : Challenging Johnson's Racist Offensive was a weekend-long event with 15 workshops and plenaries bringing together over 4,000 attendees with over 100 speakers from communities, trade unions, parliament, academia and the arts. Workshops included opposing the policing bill, organising against the far-right, fighting for justice against racist policing and mobilising for climate justice . The conference ended with a rally with leading figures including Gary Younge, Sharon Graham and many more to inspire people to take up the fight against racism wherever they are.

We worked all year round to build solidarity with refugees, and the tragic and preventable deaths in the English Channel were a terrible moment for all who value human life. In response we joined with Care4Calais to call an emergency protest outside Downing Street demanding safe passage for refugees and opposing measures in the Nationalities and Borders Bill that put even more lives at risk. A week before we organised a demonstration at the Polish Embassy against the treatment of refugees at the Poland-Belarus border.

2022 - THE YEAR OF ANTI-RACIST RESISTANCE

We want to build on the amazing work done this year by making 2022 the year we push back against the racist offensive. Planned initiatives and events in 2021 include:

Holocaust Memorial Day in January, hearing from survivors and those who lost family in the Holocaust, saying with one voice Never Again, and pledging to defeat antisemitism, fascism, anti-Roma racism and all forms or racism & scapegoating.

March Against Racism on UN Anti Racism Day in association with the TUC - a major national demonstration bringing together communities, trade unionists, councillors, MPs and cultural figures to show unity in purpose to challenge the government's racist offensive oppose institutional racism, Islamophobia & antisemitism and call for the rights of refugees and migrants to be respected.

A major programme of Resistance to the Nationality & Borders Bill including:

Practical solidarity with refugees and organisations such as Care4Calais working with vulnerable refugees.

Campaigning for action and an independent public Inquiry on the Disproportionate impact of COVID-19

Campaigning on Police violence and harrassment of Black People, including the scrapping of section 60

Campaigns to decolonise the curriculum and face up to Britain's imperial and colonial legacy, in conjunction with trade unions such as the NEU, MPs, activists and partner organisations.

Working with fans groups, Show Racism The Red Card and others to challenge racism and the far right in football, and help footballers utilise their position to challenge racism in society.

Working to challenge the far-right including the rise of far-right terrorism, hate crime and organised online abuse.