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| Reading Trades Union Council leads the Procession |
On
16 February 2019, Reading Trades Union Council, supported by Unite the Union –
and bolstered by masses of popular support – staged the ‘Love Not Hate’ march,
ably coordinated by Nikki Dancey (GMB/RTUC).
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| Solidarity from Swindon Trades Council |
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Nikki Dancey (GMB/RTUC) - Lead
Coordinator of the Event |
The
event was a defiant response to the recent upsurge in far right hooliganism,
fascist attacks and nationalist hijacking of the Brexit campaign. Examples of
fascist aggression in the past year have been the Law and Freedom Foundation’s targeting
of the Zainabiya Welfare Foundation in Tilehurst for intimidation (24 April), the
assault of RMT Senior Assistant General Secretary, Steve Hedley, and others in the
beer garden of the Westminster Arms pub, Central London, by the English Defence
League following a counter-protest to a rally in support of Tommy Robinson and
Donald Trump (14 July), the vandalism of the socialist bookshop, Bookmarks, in Central
London by ‘Make Britain Great Again’ and UKIP members (4 August) and British nationalist
Brexiteers’ daily words of intolerance towards EU citizens whom they want to ‘go
home’ after 29 March this year.
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Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU/RTUC) and Matt
Rodda MP (Labour, Reading East) |
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| Billie Reynolds (Unison) and Angie Burnish (DPAC) |
The march and social in Reading on 16 February asserted – loud and clear – that for those of EU origin, Palestinian refugees and other international migrants, members of the LGBT+ community, people with physical and mental impairments, peace campaigners, environmentalists, women suffering under patriarchal institutions, trade unionists and socialists – you are welcome in Reading and the trade union movement is with you. And to the far right, we declared: ¡No pasarán!
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John Gillman and Neil Adams (both Unite/RTUC)
with the Socialist Party contingent |
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| Labour Councillor, Sarah Hacker (Unite) with her Pride Ambassador flag |
Assembling in Market Place, the gathering of several hundred listened to an opening address by Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU), Vice-President of RTUC. Nada welcomed everyone and thanked all for attending, explaining the context of the event and describing the route of the march.
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Labour Councillors, Ellie Emberson and John
Ennis fraternise with the assembled |
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Ray Parkes (Unite), John Partington (TSSA)
and Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU) of RTUC |
Headed up by the banners of the Reading Trades Union Council and Swindon Trades Council, with flags flying from GMB and TSSA, the procession commenced at Buttermarket before proceeding along Broad Street, Oxford Road and Alfred Street.
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| Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU) welcomes the marchers |
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| Assembling for the kick-off speech |
At Chatham Place, Matt Rodda MP, Labour representative for Reading East, addressed the close of the march, focusing on Brexit and pledging his commitment to fight for an inclusive deal for EU citizens who choose to remain in post-Brexit Britain.
Following Matt’s address
the processionists gathered in The Butler pub, Reading’s friendly refuge for
the left, where tables were stocked by RTUC, Berkshire Antifascists and a
solidarity bookstall from Bookmarks, attended by Antifa and RTUC volunteers.
The landlord of The Butler laid out a buffet as the evening progressed, an address
was made by Louise Raw, historian of the women’s labour movement, and music was
performed by Nicole Johnson, Grant Sharkey, Boom Boom Raccoon and The Incendiaries.
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| Marching through Broad Street |
The convivial, comradely environment of The Butler lent itself to political discussion on such hot topics as the economic impact of Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party and the need to change government, and local government policy under austerity.
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| Matt Rodda MP (Labour, Reading East) closes the march |
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| The close of the march - before reconvening in The Butler pub |
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| Louise Raw addresses the post-march social |
John Partington also brought the TSSA’s ‘Inclusive Rail’ campaign, encouraging people to script a poster suggesting how the railway can become more inclusive for members of the LGBT+ community, both as passengers and as employees in the industry. Matt Rodda MP, a member of Labour’s Shadow Transport Team, promoted station staffing as a security measure to support vulnerable groups; Helen Caney, Reading & District Labour Party’s secretary, advocated retaining guards on trains, again as a security measure; and Steve Geary of USDAW and RTUC called on management to back their staff when faced with abuse.
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| Grant Sharkey |
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| The Incendiaries |
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| Boom Boom Raccoon |
