Supporters of Glasgow and Edinburgh Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) joined over 100 protesters in George Square in Glasgow’s city centre on 1 May to stand in solidarity with asylum seekers and against dawn-raids. The demonstration was called by Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, Stand Up To Racism (SWP), Maryhill Integration Network and the Unity Centre. RCG supporters brought chalk to cover the square with anti-racist slogans and brought banners and placards to support the demonstration.
The protest was called in response to a dawn raid against a family in Maryhill on 23 April. A campaign leaflet explained: ‘more than 8 immigration officers came to their house around 7am and told them they have a very short time to pack their important things. At this moment our friend, who is over 60 years old, fell unwell due to heart pain from stress and shock. An ambulance was called. As our friend was taken away to the hospital, the family was told by the officers: “we will be back”.’
Glasgow RCG have a consistent record of organising against the racist immigration system. Alongside other anti-racist campaigners and asylum seekers in Glasgow we organised against dawn raids over a decade ago. In recent years we actively organised and supported resistance against SERCO evictions, hotel detention and MEARS profiteering at the expense of asylum seekers.
It is clear that for the anti-racist movement to grow and challenge the racist British state, democracy within the movement is needed. But when we asked the organisers of today’s protest if an RCG supporter could speak, pointing out that for decades our organisation’s newspaper has been called Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (the back page of this issue has articles in solidarity with asylum seekers and opposing immigration detention centres) we were given that classic excuse that there was ‘no time’. Time there was, however, for representatives of parliamentary parties; SNP and Labour Party election candidates and a Green Party councillor. Meanwhile communists – anti-imperialists and anti-capitalists – those who condemn the state apparatus as racist were denied a platform.
To correct this imbalance, immediately after the protest FRFI held an open mic, inviting anyone to speak. An RCG supporter spoke about the ongoing cover up of the Police Scotland killings of asylum seeker Badreddin Abdalla Adam and Sheku Bayoh. The Scottish government and the Lord Advocate are holding an inquiry into whether racism was a factor in Sheku Bayoh’s killing, with the catch that regardless of the findings, none of the nine officers involved in his killing will face prosecution!
The protest organisers then began to play music on their sound system as a disabled activist spoke to highlight the struggle of disabled and LGBT+ asylum seekers facing deportation and detention at the hands of the British state.
We continue to push for democracy and unity in the movement against state racism!
No to all dawn raids!
Together we are stronger!
