On Saturday 12 September racists and fascists from across the UK will descend on Dover to hold a protest calling for the border to be closed. An attempt to take advantage of the anti-migrant hysteria whipped up by the government and the right-wing press, the march will be attended by up to twelve different far-right groups, many with open neo-Nazis in their ranks. If they demonstrate unopposed there could be serious consequences for any recently arrived migrants they come across.
Recent developments in Calais have focused attention on the state of the UK and European border regime. Unfortunately it is the right who are dominating headlines with commentators comparing migrants to cockroaches and politicians queuing up to appear the “toughest on migration”. Media channels have been filled with racist and nationalist justifications for a border regime which is already responsible for over 2000 deaths in the Mediterranean this year and 11 deaths in the past 2 months at Calais.
We reject the politics of xenophobia, and are disgusted by those who seek to dehumanise migrants. We see the so-called “migrant crisis” as a humanitarian crisis, of migrants uprooted by war and poverty coming into contact with a brutal and inhumane border regime, engineered to kill. We are calling for anti-racists and anti-fascists to join us in Dover to stand in solidarity with migrants, demand an end to borders and stand up to the racists seeking to sow division and hatred.
Our mobilisation joins other campaigns fighting racism, nationalism and the border regime including convoys heading to Calais with much needed resources and campaigns against immigration raids, deportations and detention centres.
The far-right protest will be attended by extremist groups such as the South East Alliance – a splinter group from the EDL – and the neo-Nazi National Front and North West Infidels. When these groups are given space to march, they attack and racially abuse people, but they can be stopped. In Liverpool recently anti-fascists turned out in their hundreds and prevented a neo-Nazi march from taking place. We need to do the same again in Dover, to show that migrants are welcome but racists are not!
London Anti-fascists are organising coaches from London to Dover to support the Anti-Fascist Network protest:
Solidarity with Calais migrants, against racism and fascism!
https://www.facebook.com/events/787314641379973/
** COACHES FROM LONDON **
For more details email ldnantifascists@riseup.net with SUBJECT LINE:
“Coaches2Dover”
