On Wednesday 21 September the weekly stall by Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! on Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, was attacked by a Scottish Defence League thug.
Displaying our ‘justice for immigrants’ banner and black lives matter placards we were approached on three separate occasions by different fascists. The first, after calling black people ‘monkeys’ and physically threatening the stall, was moved on by a policeman who happened to be patrolling the area. The second stood growling at the stall and a third, who we can name as Andrew R Jenkinson (pictured), verbally abused a South African woman on the stall before physically attacking one of the stall helpers with chants of ‘SDL’. Jenkinson also stated ‘we are hunting people like you down’, called us ‘anti-white racists’ and that ‘we love Islamists’.
He asked the stall helper ‘to come around the corner’, moved to head-butt him and then after refusing to move on repeatedly punched the helper, almost throwing him in front of a bus, before he was physically taken down and restrained by the helper in self-defence. A concerned member of the public witnessed the racial abuse and assault and called the police. The incident is now being investigated by police as an ‘Assault (Racial)’.
Recent days, weeks and months have seen Edinburgh Central Mosque firebombed, fascist stickers across Leith, prompting the ‘United colours of Leith’ walk, and ‘white only’ soup kitchens in Glasgow in an attempt to exploit the homelessness crisis. Byron Burger immigrant workers were raided and deported by the racist UK Border Agency. With state racism being ramped up to deny immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees a chance of peace and dignity and to divide and rule any opposition to worsening austerity the presence of organised racists on our streets is becoming a lot more common. The vote for Britain to leave the EU on a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment has only added fuel to the flames. We call on all democrats, progressives, socialists, anarchists, communists to stand together against these attacks.
Join us for our weekly stall against racism, war and austerity at Hunter Square, 1-3pm, this Saturday to defend the anti-racist space on our streets. An open megaphone will be available for all speakers, bring banners, newspapers, leaflets etc.
Defend Anti-Racist Space! Fascists off our streets!
Saturday 24 September, 1-3pm
Hunter Square (just off Royal Mile)
El pueblo unido jamás será ven
The people united will never be defeated!
