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Another Demo
Jun. 2nd, 2013 07:55 pmIt has been a week for a 1970s revival. On Wednesday, I went to a performance of Tubular Bells; in Friday, I saw the "Space Ritual" played to celebrate its fortieth anniversary; and yesterday I went on an anti-racism demo outside the Scottish Parliament, protesting at the presence of a "Scottish Defence League" rally attacking Muslims following the ghastly murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich ten days ago.
It wasn't a huge demo, though the anti-racists - Unite Against Fascism (that's us) - outnumbered the racist SDL (them) by two or three to one. There were about three hindered of us, and it was a suitably mixed crowd: despite police requests that they stay away, there were many Muslim women present (judging their head gear), lots of south Asian-origin men and women, a large group of very vocal Jews (wearing yarmulkes, it being Sabbath), lots of African-origin people too; and people representing various minority groups - particularly the gay, lesbian and transgender lobby.
When I got there just after 1 pm, there was a growing crowd of us, and not a sign of them. It turned out that despite indications by the police, the SDL had been allowed to match through the city, unmolested by our attention. So we waited for them. It was all pretty lighthearted, with the usual suspects - "Socialist Worker"-sellers, many union members holding banners, lots of leafleters and petition-signers.
I don't know where there'd marched from, but after forty minutes or so about one hundred SDL protesters appeared behind the police barricade - the police were determined to keep us apart. (I'll admit I was completely happy about that.) It came as no surprise but was still shocking that they were very aggressive. They mimed firing guns at us. They held their arms aloft - there was much of the football crowd about them. They held banners linking immigration and terrorism and chanted anti-Muslim football songs. Their chants sounded English rather than Scottish; the rumour was that many of the SDL had been bussed in from England.
Our chants were much more humorous - though some were also angry and nasty: despite a banner stating "Don't Dehumanise Your Enemies", there was a frequent chant of "Nazi Scum!". But there were also chants of "put a stop to racist fighting/put on music and strobe lighting!" And there was (I presume) a Muslim woman who had a long, hilarious rhyming rant to the tune of Queen's "We Will Rock You". (Freddie Mercury was of course the sin of immigrants - as well as being gay.)
Our side held a minute's silence for the victims of hate crimes, specifically but not exclusively for Lee Rigby; their side made some speeches. We booed, they jeered. Then they dispersed (I think to coaches parked at the foot of Arthur's Seat), and the police asked us to go in a different direction, up the Royal Mile.
It was a sociable way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon - but I was angry at the need to protest. I went on several anti-racist demos in the late 1970s and early 80s organised by Rock Against Racism and the Anti Nazi League. Most notably I went on the march and rally at Victoria Park in 1978, like most people probably attracted as much by the band's playing at the rally as the cause, though I went on others too and had long supported the anti racist cause. And frankly it is unbelievable - sorry, fucking unbelievable that, forty years on, we are having the same arguments, the same shouting matches, the same air of violence: that society hasn't moved on in all that time, that the vulnerable are still threatened.
A young guy yesterday asked me why I was there. It seemed an odd question, because frankly it just felt like the place to be - where else would I be, and if I couldn't be bothered, why should I be surprised if no one else could be either.
But it was a good question. I went because I believe strongly that attacking the weakest in society is wrong. Blaming immigrants for society's ills is just bullying. I went because - like most of the people in Britain, I'd guess - I am descended from immigrants. I went because I believe society benefits from immigrants, economically and socially, and particularly culturally. I went because much that I hold dear stems from foreign, particularly black, culture; because I believe jazz depends on freedom to think; because blues and politics are intimately related.
And I'm still angry that now, in 2013, it is necessary to defend our streets from racists.
It wasn't a huge demo, though the anti-racists - Unite Against Fascism (that's us) - outnumbered the racist SDL (them) by two or three to one. There were about three hindered of us, and it was a suitably mixed crowd: despite police requests that they stay away, there were many Muslim women present (judging their head gear), lots of south Asian-origin men and women, a large group of very vocal Jews (wearing yarmulkes, it being Sabbath), lots of African-origin people too; and people representing various minority groups - particularly the gay, lesbian and transgender lobby.
When I got there just after 1 pm, there was a growing crowd of us, and not a sign of them. It turned out that despite indications by the police, the SDL had been allowed to match through the city, unmolested by our attention. So we waited for them. It was all pretty lighthearted, with the usual suspects - "Socialist Worker"-sellers, many union members holding banners, lots of leafleters and petition-signers.
I don't know where there'd marched from, but after forty minutes or so about one hundred SDL protesters appeared behind the police barricade - the police were determined to keep us apart. (I'll admit I was completely happy about that.) It came as no surprise but was still shocking that they were very aggressive. They mimed firing guns at us. They held their arms aloft - there was much of the football crowd about them. They held banners linking immigration and terrorism and chanted anti-Muslim football songs. Their chants sounded English rather than Scottish; the rumour was that many of the SDL had been bussed in from England.
Our chants were much more humorous - though some were also angry and nasty: despite a banner stating "Don't Dehumanise Your Enemies", there was a frequent chant of "Nazi Scum!". But there were also chants of "put a stop to racist fighting/put on music and strobe lighting!" And there was (I presume) a Muslim woman who had a long, hilarious rhyming rant to the tune of Queen's "We Will Rock You". (Freddie Mercury was of course the sin of immigrants - as well as being gay.)
Our side held a minute's silence for the victims of hate crimes, specifically but not exclusively for Lee Rigby; their side made some speeches. We booed, they jeered. Then they dispersed (I think to coaches parked at the foot of Arthur's Seat), and the police asked us to go in a different direction, up the Royal Mile.
It was a sociable way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon - but I was angry at the need to protest. I went on several anti-racist demos in the late 1970s and early 80s organised by Rock Against Racism and the Anti Nazi League. Most notably I went on the march and rally at Victoria Park in 1978, like most people probably attracted as much by the band's playing at the rally as the cause, though I went on others too and had long supported the anti racist cause. And frankly it is unbelievable - sorry, fucking unbelievable that, forty years on, we are having the same arguments, the same shouting matches, the same air of violence: that society hasn't moved on in all that time, that the vulnerable are still threatened.
A young guy yesterday asked me why I was there. It seemed an odd question, because frankly it just felt like the place to be - where else would I be, and if I couldn't be bothered, why should I be surprised if no one else could be either.
But it was a good question. I went because I believe strongly that attacking the weakest in society is wrong. Blaming immigrants for society's ills is just bullying. I went because - like most of the people in Britain, I'd guess - I am descended from immigrants. I went because I believe society benefits from immigrants, economically and socially, and particularly culturally. I went because much that I hold dear stems from foreign, particularly black, culture; because I believe jazz depends on freedom to think; because blues and politics are intimately related.
And I'm still angry that now, in 2013, it is necessary to defend our streets from racists.