The placing of effigies of migrants on the Moygashel Bonfire is a violent act, and a disgusting attempt to whip up division and hatred. It is targeting and intimidating people who are fleeing from war, persecution and poverty. Following the racist riots in Ballymena and elsewhere last month, this is another alarming escalation in intimidation. We send our solidarity to those who live in the community and across the North who no doubt will feel unsafe as a result.
The effigy must be removed, and people in the local community who are opposed to racism should mobilise to ensure that it is. A strong and urgent response is needed from the local community, the anti-racist movement, trade unions and other organisations to say that this display of racist hatred and attempts to promote and legitimise racism behind cultural celebrations will not be tolerated.
Racist lies
This particularly vile act again shows how racist agitators and loyalist paramilitary elements are becoming increasingly confident in spreading fear and hate. They have been encouraged and given political cover by the likes of the TUV and DUP, with figures like Jim Allister repeatedly spouting racist lies, and Gordon Lyons releasing statements that inflamed tensions around the Larne Leisure Centre before it was eventually burnt out. The sectarianism on display at particular bonfires continues; including dangerous slogans calling for the killing of all Catholics, the specific targeting of public figures, and the burning of flags.
Loyalist paramilitaries and other sectarian forces are hijacking the real and justified anger of young people at the poor living conditions and lack of opportunities. We can have no illusions that the status-quo politicians of Stormont, who continue to administer harmful budgets and political attacks against working class people, including recent attacks on trans rights, will be able to address any of these issues: they are part of the problem. The Executive has willingly implemented the British government’s horrific ‘hostile environment’ policies for refugees and asylum seekers.
Not happening in a vacuum
The rise in racist and reactionary ideas both here and globally is not happening in a vacuum. Racism and dehumanisation are once again, unabashedly, used by the political establishment as part of their efforts to defend the interests of rich elites in the context of the deep crisis of global capitalism. Starmer’s Labour, following in the footsteps of the Tories, have helped fan racist flames by adopting the same scapegoating rhetoric and racist policies against migrants and refugees as far-right figures.
The repeated dehumanising talk of ‘small boats’ and Starmer’s echoing of Enoch Powell’s infamous racist rivers of blood speech, paired with a tidal wave increase in racist deportations by the state (which Starmer boasts about) are all examples of this. In their desperate attempt to appeal to sections of the voter base, Labour are trying to ‘out right’ Reform UK, which will only strengthen the far right. The increased support for Reform UK and their extremist ideas are an indication of the dangers to come should a real socialist alternative to the misery and deprivation of capitalism not be built.
The same goes for here, with politicians across the sectarian spectrum either pushing racist propaganda or completely failing to challenge it. It has been almost one year since the first racist riots in Belfast last August. Since then, there have been multiple racist attacks and essentially pogroms across the North, and Stormont has taken no meaningful action to tackle the rise of racist and far-right violence. The status quo Stormont parties are incapable of addressing the root issues of racism and ensuring that racist effigies on bonfires like this, or more racist riots, don’t happen again.
Anti-racist movement
Recent anti-racist actions across the north, including last month’s United Against Racism protest, which outnumbered the far-right and racists, show that this hateful act does not represent the views of the majority of people in our communities. Racist ideas however, are growing in communities across the UK and in Ireland, North and South. We have seen far-right demonstrations in Newry and towns across the North. Stopping the spread of far-right and racist ideas means building a serious, organised, and united fightback. We need a mass, active, anti-racist movement rooted in working-class communities, trade unions, schools and universities/colleges, and built on solidarity with all struggles, including Palestine solidarity, the fight against gender-based violence and resisting transphobia, etc.
It’s time to build a serious fightback that takes on not only the hatred and violence of the far-right, but also the racist capitalist system that allows them to grow. Capitalism inevitably means war, genocide, climate destruction, mass displacement and inequality – there is only more of this to come if we do not break entirely with this system, and build a new one based upon solidarity and using the wealth and resources that exist on this planet to meet people’s needs.
