SWINDON TUC STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH MICHELLE SMITH
Swindon TUC were saddened to hear that, on July 14th 2016, Michelle Smith, an organiser with Unite and moth...er of two was jailed for 12 months for standing up to fascist thugs in Dover.
The trade union movement has a long and proud history of standing up to fascism and racism, stretching back to 1936, when 300,000 London workers prevented a march of the fascist Black Shirt movement, in what became known as the Battle of Cable Street.
As trade unionists, we have always been alongside and amongst the most oppressed and vulnerable in our society, which is why so many heeded the call to head to Dover in January of this year to protest a march organised by extreme right wing and nazi groups, who had openly promised violence against migrants and political opponents.
During the day, anti-fascists repeatedly and successfully defended themselves from organised fascist violence and significantly disrupted a march which, had it have been allowed to proceed, would have given a significant confidence boost to a fascist movement cashing in on the racism and xenophobia pumped out my mainstream politicians and the press.
The fascist mob, who had also attacked and smashed a coach containing Russian schoolchildren were beyond the control of the police, and it was only a well organised anti-fascist response which prevented widespread violence and abuse towards migrant and refugee members of our community.
Confronting fascists is not a crime, it is a social responsibility. Had the nazi mob have been allowed to rampage free of opposition, communities would have been under direct attack, not only on the streets of Dover, but across the country as fascists regained the confidence to go on the attack.
As it stands, in no small part due to the solid efforts of anti-fascists in Dover, the fascists are on the retreat, barely able to attract two dozen people to national demonstrations.
We stand in complete solidarity with Michelle, with all victims of fascist violence and with all anti-fascist prisoners.
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