By Ben Jones
Patriotic Alternative, described as ‘the UK’s largest fascist organisation,’ are believed to have been involved in a recent call to harass asylum seekers in Cardiff.
Anti-racist activists first became aware of plans to target a hotel in north Cardiff, which had housed asylum seekers since May, via a post on Facebook announcing a lunchtime protest outside the building on October 15th.
The post described asylum seekers fleeing their home country as ‘fakugees’ and called on people to turn up outside the hotel.
The call-out came not long after a racist attack on nearby Llandaff cricket club, Cardiff, which was recently broken into and sprayed with swastikas and racial slurs. 90% of the club’s membership are from a South Asian background and some say they now feel unsafe.
Alarmed by these events, groups Black Lives Matter and Stand Up To Racism organised a counter protest outside the hotel on the same day as the fascist grouping had vowed to turn up.
The anti-racist protest and show of solidarity with asylum seekers saw over 60 people turn out, including locals, representatives from the Wales TUC, other unions, Asylum Justice and the Labour MS for Cardiff North Julie Morgan.
In the end, not a single protester from the other side turned out, despite claiming their protest had the backing of locals.
Instead, the chant, “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” rang out from the crowd. Signs held by protesters also called for the scrapping of the infamous Nationality and Borders Act, which pledges to indiscriminately send huge numbers of asylum seekers entering the UK to Rwanda.
Hussein Said from Black Lives Matter Cardiff and Vale was the first to speak to the crowd of anti-racists, hitting out at both the fascist threat and the UK Home Office:
“Don’t forget, we outnumber them, we outnumber all of the oppressors. Until they back down we will remain here – we will smash them. It is important to show them how many people are here. I’m really encouraged to see so many people show their support.”
Stand Up to Racism Cardiff’s Kwabena Devonish also addressed the counter protest: “As anti-racists we need to call it out when we see it – we are all under pressure because of the system of capitalism – not because of other people. We’re in a cost of living crisis, but it’s easier to scapegoat asylum seekers than confront the real issue of capitalism.”
Joe Allen of the Welsh Trades Union Congress also expressed support from unions: “The trade union movement has a proud history of standing up to fascism. We will continue to fight for the right to work for all those seeking shelter in this country. I bring to you this message of solidarity.”
Julie Morgan, Cardiff North MS, followed: “I have worked with asylum seekers for many years, and have recently visited Rwanda – this absolute disgrace of a Tory Government is to blame.”
Morgan then referred to the recent incident earlier in the month which saw racists break into Llandaff Cricket Club, leaving swastikas and other racist imagery behind.
“This is very troubling, and shows that there is a very dangerous presence in Cardiff. These people are now too afraid to return to somewhere which, by all means, should be a protected, safe space.”
Organisers had expressed concern about attacks on asylum seekers and the threat of organised racist groups prior to the protest, and had called on politicians to do more against it.
Philip Allsopp from the University and College Union (UCU) in Cardiff referred to Italy’s recent election, which saw the forming of a far right coalition involving open supporters of the facsist dictator Benito Mussolini: “We’re seeing it all over the world, we can’t let our guard down for a second.”
“We need to make sure that we are aware that there is not a white working class, but that there is only a working class. The enemy doesn’t arrive by boat – it arrives by limousine.”
Andrew, a worker with charity group Care4Calais was at the event and spoke about the conditions facing those inside the hotel: “The refugees here are primarily families, from a variety of locations – Iraq, Kurdistan, Albania. They are living on just the clothes on their backs that they arrived with, so we’ve been there today making sure everyone has a warm coat for the winter, and everyone’s got a pair of shoes on their feet, and that the kids have got toys to play with.”
“The government just isn’t doing enough to process them fast enough, it isn’t doing enough to support them – they’re living on £36 a week, which isn’t a lot of money at all to try and feed a family. What we’re doing is trying to take some of the pressure away from them.”
Two hours into when the original demonstration was set to take place, not a single protester from their side had appeared, despite promising to do so. Organisers believe that the original protest had backing from Patriotic Alternative, a group known for underlying Nazi ideology and hardline antisemitism, as well as other groups.
In 2020, voice.wales revealed that Patriotic Alternative had been trying to recruit new members in south Wales.
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