On Sunday 2 August, supporters of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) alongside the Anti-Racism Protest Defence Campaign, tried to set up information stalls at Grey’s Monument in Newcastle. Both stalls were shut down by Northumbria Police because one racist threatened to set up a pro-racism stall next to the anti-racists. Below is the full statement from the Anti-Racism Protest Defence Campaign.
Newcastle police publicly working with fascists
At 1.15pm yesterday (Sunday 2 August), Northumbria Police shut down a small anti-racist information stall at Grey’s Monument because one fascist told them to.
The fascist told police that he was part of a fascist organisation and that he was going to set up a stall next to ours. That was enough for cops to swing into action and ban the four anti-racists from the city centre for 24 hours.
Dispersal notice from Northumbria Police
Ten police officers surrounded the anti-racists and tried to move them on from the Monument to a different part of the city centre and when they tried to argue their case and defend their human rights police issued dispersal notices (see image). The event was held at the Monument because it is a busy part of the city centre where we can have the biggest impact. However, the police ridiculously claimed that our presence at the Monument was going to lead to serious disorder.
Despite police harassment and intimidation, with police trying to pull the megaphone off us, we managed to petition and speak on the megaphone for an hour to a crowd of fifty passing people who stopped to show support. We were told to get out of the city centre by 1.15pm or be arrested. We left to avoid arrest – we only had 15 minutes to do so. Needless to say, the fascist did not turn up with his stall – it was clearly a ploy to get the police to act. Obviously they don’t need much of an excuse to force events against police racism off the streets.
The Anti-Racism Protest Defence Campaign was due to have a protest yesterday (Saturday 1 August). This was advertised publicly. Unite the Right North East posted one comment on Facebook that they were going to oppose it. On the back of that, Northumbria Police issued a Section 14 notice banning the event from taking place anywhere in Newcastle apart from on a tiny patch of grass in front of the Civic Centre. The event was cancelled and instead we decided to leaflet about the police bans today – even this was not permitted.
The area of the city centre FRFI were banned from for 24 hours
This is the fifth banning order used against anti-racists in Newcastle since 13 June, we have the evidence. Fascists are working through Northumbria Police to dictate what political activity is acceptable in the city. All it takes is for one racist to make a complaint and police move in to gag anti-racists.
This is a major and unprecedented attack on democratic rights – there is a de facto ban on anti-racist events in Newcastle. This needs to be a national issue and covered by national press. It needs to be fought tooth and nail – we really need your support.
As well as the banning of events, at least five anti-racists were arrested during the big Black Lives Matter protests in June. Two have been charged and two have been put on very strict bail conditions, without charge until at least October!
Join the next online defence campaign meeting on 1 September, 7.30pm on Zoom to discuss how we can defend the right to protest against racism and to get the bail conditions and charges dropped.
Can you make it and spread the word far and wide? Join the meeting here: https://tinyurl.com/y48rzdkm
If you are unable to attend the meeting please email the defence campaign to pledge your support and we will let you know how you can help: [email protected]
If we stand together we can beat this racist and political policing.
2018/19 statistics (source: Freedom of Information Request to Home Office):
Northumbria police are nearly four times more likely to use force against black people than white people.
Northumbria police are 3.4 times more likely to use tasers against black people and 7.4 times more likely to use equipment such as batons, irritant spray, spit guards and shields.
Black people in Northumbria Police’s beat are eight times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act and four times more likely to be stopped and searched.
For more information on this read this June 2020 Chronicle article: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/black-people-north-east-more-18381030
Text in the dispersal order; reason given for the dispersal:
‘Present as part of group conducting protest at Monument, intelligence that other group was going to counter protest, and due to group not willing to move to another allocated area potential for crime and disorder was highly likely.’
