Anti-Racism March Demonstrates Against Anti-Refugee Riots

Published on: 13 Aug, 2024
Updated on: 14 Aug, 2024

The march proceeds up the High Street

By Martin Giles

An anti-racism march was held in Guildford on Saturday in the wake of the anti-refugee riots in different parts of the country.

Around 50 demonstrators including representatives from Extinction Rebellion, the Peace Party and Zero Carbon Guildford gathered by the rotunda at the bottom of North Street for a 1pm start. They proceeded to march along Friary Street, up the High Street to the George Abbot statue, then back down North Street.

Co-organiser Dom Frazer on the megaphone leading the chants

There were various chants including “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here”.

The event was part of a national day of action led by Stand Up To Racism. Banners and signs featured messages such as “Racism Not Welcome In Guildford”, “No Unity Without Community”, and “Stop The Far Right”.

One of the participants making her feelings clear.

Onlookers appeared surprised but some were seen clapping and cheering. Some even joined the march along the way.

Mandy Millyard, who took the photos featured here, said: “It was a peaceful anti-racism march in response to far-right and anti-immigration riots in towns in England and Northern Ireland this week.”

The march was organised by Dominique Frazer, owner of the Boileroom and New House Art Space, and Sam Peters, who recently stood as the Green Party candidate for Guildford in the general election.

Veteran campaigner John Morris of the Peace Party took part

Sam Peters said, “It was heartening to see so many people take time out of their weekend to support this important cause, especially at such short notice.

“Guildford may not have experienced the hatred and violence seen in other towns such as Aldershot and Crawley, but we’ve heard from many local people who are scared to go to work or leave their homes based on the colour of their skin, religion, or place of birth.

“We came here today to represent the vast majority of Guildfordians who stand against racist violence, and we are doing that loudly and visibly to show solidarity with those currently being targeted by far-right hatred and division”.

The march starts to proceed up the High Street.

Community police officers were on hand in case they were needed but the march passed off peacefully.

Surrey Police also issued a statement in the wake of the disorder.

It read: “Following the tragic events in Southport last week and the subsequent violent disorder we have seen across the country, we are providing our communities with an update on our policing approach.

“While at this stage, in Surrey, we have not seen the levels of disorder, protests, or reports of hate crime that have been seen across other parts of the country, this has understandably caused concerns within our communities.

“Since we first saw the increase in violent disorder across the country and where specific communities have been targeted, local officers have increased their visibility and engagement where we know that residents, businesses, and faith leaders are feeling vulnerable.

“Patrols have been increased in key areas across the county so that our communities have a visible presence from us. We recognise that this is a challenging time for all our communities, and we are committed to providing reassurances to those who may be concerned for their safety.

“We are already seeing an increase in reports of misinformation and disinformation, which we know can be extremely concerning for our communities. Our officers have a vital role to play in reassuring those who feel concerned, vulnerable or unsafe in our county, and the spreading of this misinformation and disinformation can cause further alarm.

“We would encourage the public to not only challenge what they read online and consider whether it could be misinformation, but also not to share this further on social media.

“If you do see information circulating online about possible disorder, please report these to us so that we can investigate and respond. You can also approach local officers when they are in the area to raise any concerns or ask any questions that you may have. If you would prefer to report information anonymously, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Making sure the peace was maintained – Police Community Support Officers talking to Town Rangers on Saturday

“We are continually reviewing the information we receive around reports of potential disorder or crime. Our policing response will always work alongside our priority of ensuring our communities feel safe and supported by us.”

Chief Superintendent Graham Barnett added: “We would like to reassure all our communities that we are prepared should there be disorder in Surrey. We have specialist teams and resources in place to make sure we can continue to protect our communities while we respond to reports of disorder.

“We will continue to facilitate peaceful protest, but violent disorder will not be tolerated, and we will respond to this robustly. Arrests will be made, and charges will be brought to those responsible.”

Responses to Anti-Racism March Demonstrates Against Anti-Refugee Riots

Olly Azad Reply

August 14, 2024 at 5:18 pm

It’s pretty obvious that the Far-Right has used the horrific murders of innocent children in Southport as a pretext to attack refugees, minority groups and the Police Service. This is why it’s imperative that we work together as communities to reject this kind of narrative.

The members of the public and peace activists who attended the anti-racism march in Guildford have shown that racial hatred, intolerance and prejudice directed at refugees is unacceptable.

The recent statement by Surrey Police to arrest and charge the perpetrators of violent disorder and criminality is reassuring to know and there has been no unrest in Surrey thankfully.