Protestors from the Oxford ‘Stand Up To Racism’ (OSUTR) group assembled at Carfax Tower on Saturday 24 May at 11am as a counter-movement to a far-right gathering organised by Richard Donaldson, who is calling for “a general election now”. According to OSUTR’s Instagram profile, they formed in January 2015 to “counter rising racism and the far right”. Stand Up To Racism is an organisation with branches across the United Kingdom, with other national counter-demonstrations taking place today in Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton, and many other major cities.
As pictured, placards were on display that read “Refugees Welcome” and “Stop the Far Right”, with some members of the assembly also waving the transgender flag. Several chants could be heard being projected by a megaphone, including “We’re black, white, Muslims, and we’re Jews / And we’re gay, and we’re trans!”, “Rising prices and inflation / Are not caused by immigration!”, and “Say it loud and say it clear / Refugees are welcome here”. In response, a member of ‘The Great British National Strike’ (an assembly of approximately 500,000 “patriots” who oppose “illegal immigration” and other issues such as “net zero policies”) wielded a Union Jack and proclaimed, “Women and girls are welcome here” in response. Police were present around the periphery of the protest and between the two opposing protests.
The mission of Stand Up To Racism is clear from their posters which detailed their aims: ‘Defend civil liberties’, ‘Fight against Islamophobia’, and ‘Oppose Prevent’.
This page will be updated as more information becomes available.