Determined to secure a good location on the street, a participant from the city had woken her young relatives at 3am to travel to the city. Her commitment was rewarded. By the time the rally reached her on that day afternoon, she was perched on a wall outside Downing Street, the young nieces in portable seats at her feet, engrossed in their devices.
She had unfurled two placards. One said “the leader is a idiot” and the other stated: “We’re not radical, we are British parents and we will not be hushed. Halt the rape of our young ones, women across Britain are protesting.”
When questioned why she was there, she looked incredulous. Wasn’t it obvious? “Because Keir Starmer is a jerk.” Why? “He’s removing our speech away.” Although you’re able to sit outside his house and call him a fool? “Well he is.”
As for the other sign, she designed it, she explained, “because I’m not far right and I’m tired of being called it. I’m fed up of coming to events like this and being called far right. I am here for the correct causes today, for the well-being of these children. Others are coming in without permission and harming our youngsters and it’s got to stop.”
The protest was promoted as the “biggest free expression” event in British history. Some, however, tend to characterize it as “Britain’s largest ever radical rally”. Predictably – excluding one jovial Welshman who stated “well, my views are far right” – no one encountered considers of themselves in that manner. “We’re just accurate,” was repeated over and over. As in: correct.
There is no doubt that many of the speakers at the gathering were racist, with many delivering variations on the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. The participants were informed with claims that “Not only Britain that is being flooded, it’s not just Britain that is being harmed. Every single developed nation faces the same issue: an orchestrated influx and displacement of native people is happening.”
But most of the attendees did not hear the addresses. Many were not even able to gain access on to the street to see the projections. The sense was that they were not there for the orators in any case: this was about being heard themselves.
A few wore their racism with openness, like the participant with the misspelled sign that read: “Why are certain groups looked down upon when our funds pays for everything.” But mostly these were “everyday citizens” with “ordinary jobs” who “care about our kids”, who said repeatedly that they’d “reached their limit". Usually it was about migration. But often it wasn’t merely that. They’d grown tired of a Britain they felt was no longer working.
Rather than attributing decades of austerity, or a economic structure rigged against the ordinary individual, for these individuals, “unauthorized arrivals” were to blame. And Starmer was the scapegoat. “Look what he’s done to the agricultural workers, death taxes, you know, the medical system is struggling,” said a individual from Norfolk. “We have cracks in the streets, we can’t get medical appointments, people are actually abandoned in the corridors of some of the NHS medical centers and are not treated for hours and they’re in serious states. This country is becoming a farce.”
For him it was personal: “I’m losing my dental health, right, because I’m a type 1 diabetic. And it’s the difficulty of me trying to get my teeth replaced because of my diabetes. They fail to assist people like me. But they would help someone that arrives on our land from a vessel and gets all benefits.”
Not a single person used the words “applicant” or “asylum seeker”. It was “illegals” and “young males”. All stereotyped with the behavior of a tiny number of people.
Everyone claimed that they were not against a problem with legal immigration: the large numbers who have come to the UK with authorization, to pursue education or work. They were not held responsible for adding burden on services. Solely the people who arrived on vessels – who made up just a small fraction of entries in recent times.
The event wrapped up as participants grew restless and authorities had closed all the escape routes, making a quick escape difficult. Since departing, there has been struggling with how best to explain what was observed and heard. It was a far-right march, indeed, but many people joined unconcerned by the fact it had been billed as such by many media outlets. They did not feel excluded by such an extreme label. In his address, the leader said something that may be true. “They tried to suppress us for a long time with terms,” he said. “‘Prejudiced’, ‘Islamophobe’, ‘extremist’. They no longer apply any more!”
When the radical faction becomes the mainstream right, what terminology do we have to characterize what is unfolding? How have circumstances led to so many feeling unheard, angry and angry? Until the basic structures of the nation are repaired – the NHS, education, infrastructure, fuel prices – this trend may only increase.
