Call to Action: The enemy doesn’t arrive by boat. He arrives by limousine

The Feminist Anti-Fascist Assembly is made up of feminists of all genders. Many of us are survivors of sexual violence. Many of us are migrants. Many of us have lived here for a long time and have no interest in racist solutions to the problems we face. Attempts by either racist governments or far-right thugs to divide our communities will fail.   

This is a call and invitation for women, queers and migrants from all organisations and unions, and none to lead the ‘No to Tommy Robinson, No to Fortress Britain’ demonstration on 9th December, 11am-3pm BBC Portland Place. 

We refuse the continued attempts by the far right to speak on our behalf. As a growing assembly of community organisations, sports clubs, youth groups, women’s organisations, trade unions and committed individuals we stand united against the far right’s hijacking of our struggles for their gain. The far right want to convince people that migrants are the source of suffering and poor living conditions that so many of us face in this country. We know this isn’t true. Every day we see the rich and powerful ruthlessly exploit all kinds of workers, cut services, abandon communities and double down on systems of oppression. We know our enemy does not arrive by boat. He arrives by limousine. A better future awaits us: racism won’t get us there. No silence to violence.

Check the event page for updates! https://www.facebook.com/events/196829064559780/

On December 9th, UKIP and the founder of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson plan to march with their racist far-right circus to the streets of London. We oppose everything the far right stand for: racism, hatred of migrants and reactionary ideas about women’s ‘proper’ role as housewives and mothers. 

The far right are using the Tory Brexit crisis to fuel a politics of fear and racism. We all know the Tory Brexit deal is terrible, but racism won’t fix it. The Tory Brexit deal is an attack on everyone, and especially on migrants. We want a world that meets the needs of the many, not scapegoating our neighbours and peddling conspiracy theories. The Tory deal will expand the existing racist border regime to millions of more migrants. 

It is more urgent than ever that we fight against Fortress Britain: against the hostile environment, immigration raids, detention centres and deportations. We need to fight together for all people to be able to live, migrate and work where we choose and for better wages, services and lives. 

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is part of a newly energised and well-funded network of hate bankrolled by friends of Steve Bannon. Their far right politics is bleeding into the Tory party through Boris Johnson and other UKIP fellow travellers.

Life is hard for millions of us. Thanks to universal credit and benefit sanctions millions of families now rely on foodbanks. Many of us can't afford a decent place to live. Winter is around the corner and thousands of elderly people will die because of the cost of heating. Our NHS is being deliberately ground down ready to be sold off. 

We can’t let the far right provide racist solutions to the crisis we are in. We need to build a future in which access to decent health, education and housing is a reality and not a dream. This begins with standing together against the racism and sexism of the far right.

Supporting organisations: 

Stop Trump Coalition
Momentum 
Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union
Independent Workers Union of Great Britain
Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union
Global Justice Now
Another Europe is Possible 
Feminist Anti-Fascist Assembly 
Women’s Strike Assembly 
Brazilian Women Against Fascism
Plan C
Labour Against Racism and Fascism
Labour Campaign for Free Movement
Kurdistan Students Union
NUS Black Student Campaign
Migrants Organise
Apna Haq
Dziewuchy London
London Young Labour
Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants
London Anti-Fascists
Women's March London
Feminist Fightback
Fourth Wave: London Feminist Activists
The x:talk project
Ni Una Menos UK
Sister not Cister
Action for Trans Health
SOAS Detainee Support
People and Planet
Our Future Now