The 16 October 'Unity' demonstration against the Welling BNP headquarters was a major mobilisation success. It was the largest anti-racist demonstration since the 1970s, overwhelmingly attended by youth.
But this success was marred by two things: the serious disunity created by holding two rival marches on the same day, and the outcome of the Welling march, which went halt a mile before grinding to a halt in front of police lines.
Blocked route
The march reached an impasse because of the massive police mobilisation. When it was unable to move towards the BNP HQ the police also blocked off the route they had arranged for the march.
In effect the demonstration was bottled up, with riot police at intervals along its whole length and was at the mercy of the police. Having sealed off all possible routes leaving the marchers trapped with nowhere to go the 'impartial' forces of the state moved in to protect the BNP.
The demonstration effectively marched into a well coordinated police trap which created the kind of confrontation they were looking for.
The government and the media then tried to take the moral high ground by portraying sections of the demonstration as mindless hooligans bent on violence.
It was the most determined MP MP Blockade prepared police attack on marchers effort to criminalise a demonstration, aided and abetted by the media, since the Poll Tax rebellion.
Out-mobilised The ARA demonstration in Trafalgar Square, including delegations and banners from twenty national trade unions was much smaller, only 3 or 4,000 and the ARA were clearly out-mobilised.
The building of the Anti-Rac-MPI IMP IMP ist Alliance has represented an important achievement and it was sickening to see the ARA leaders involved in the flurry of denunciation of the Unity march.
The division of the anti-racist movement - for which ARA have the main responsibility in this case - represents a major problem for the anti racist movement as a whole.
If there had been one united march, with the sponsorship modern Conservative estabSUM racist atte - MP MP from the official labour movement which ARA has behind it, and the youth mobilising potential of the far-left forces behind the Unity march, then a huge and united rebuff of the fascists could have been achieved.
Unity
It would have been harder to demonise, in advance, a march with massive backing from the official labour movement and, later, employ such vicious tacgroup works for the de-selection MP MP MP tics and get away with it.
It is time for the anti-racist movement to reflect on this experience, address this disunity and the future activities which are posed.
A united campaign, representing the interests of the families attacked, communities under threat, protection against deportations and against the fascist threat must be created.
Another half mile walk to nowhere cannot be allowed.
FIGHTING FASCISM