An anti-fascist movement for everyone

On a Saturday in June I attended an anti-fascist demonstration in Coventry’s Godiva Square, and I have to say it was fantastic. More than 100 people turned out to counter a planned demonstration by the far-right English Defence League, who were, along with the BNP, holding a national day of protest in a bid to stir up racial hatred following the murder of an off-duty soldier, Lee Rigby, on a Woolwich street by radical Islamist fanatics.

A broad, diverse crowd gathered round as many local figures spoke passionately about why extremism of any kind is unwelcome in our city. Historically, the political left has always been the most trenchant and passionate in its protest against racism and fascism, most notably at the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, and all on the left should feel proud of this. However, I couldn’t help but feel that the openly left-wing nature of anti-fascist protests may be doing more harm than good.

The reasons why extremist parties and groups gain traction are well documented, centring on desperation caused by poverty and unemployment, and typically get worse in prolonged economic recessions, such as this one. However, there is no reason why people with centrist and right-wing politics, even if political decisions of these stripes are allegedly causing such conditions to exist, should not stand with those on the left that disagree with their stances on economics.

Many speakers stood up in Godiva Square – notably prominent Trotskyite and former member of the Militant Tendency, Dave Nellist – and began to speak movingly and passionately about how we must all stand against fascism, only to then party-politicise that stance by mentioning government spending cuts, the austerity programme, bankers, the financial crisis and much else.

As I mentioned above, there is clearly some legitimacy in the notion that swingeing cuts to public expenditure, and rising poverty and inequality caused by the neoliberal economic model, lead people to look in desperation for a scapegoat that groups like the EDL and BNP are all too willing to provide.

Many non-leftist creeds pride themselves on individual liberty and freedom from tyranny and fear, and respect for minorities of all kinds. These people are our brothers and sisters in the fight against racism and fascism. We should not turn them away.