Last Saturday, Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, led a rally of up to 150,000 protesters, mostly draped in Union Jack or England flags, through central London as part of a ‘Unite the Kingdom’ demonstration.

The march followed a summer of anti-migrant protests, fuelled by the growing far-right rhetoric being thrown around by British politicians. Make no mistake; this is a wake-up call.

It’s easy to feel at a loss for what to do, how to fight this? Feeling afraid and anxious is completely understandable, but we’re not helpless. There is so much to be done to take care of yourself, your community and combat the growing tide of racism and xenophobia in the UK right now.

Here’s how we can fight back against the far-right:

Stay informed

It is incredibly important to stay on top of things and educate ourselves about current affairs, as well as the meanings of symbols, slogans and other political jargon that you may not initially understand. Make sure the news and information you are receiving comes from verifiable sources. The world feels scary enough without seeing a headline that turns out to be fake news.

Go to a protest

If you are able, consider joining a march or protest! It is always safer to go with friends or a community group. Stand Up To Racism UK regularly promotes protests happening around the country. Having been to a few over the years myself, especially as a Black woman, it’s safer to go in a group, and these marches are often a great place to meet like-minded people and find out what else is going on in your local community and how you can help. If you’re going on your own, consider messaging the organisers beforehand and letting your friends know where you are going.

Lucy Morgan

Educate yourself

Read as much as you can! Of course, we have our first-hand experiences, but I find that an academic perspective is just as important for giving us all the context that we may be unaware of. Books like Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch can give context to the identity crisis many of us can feel as people of colour. Biased by Dr Jennifer Eberhart is another book that uncovers bias at every level of society and how to address it.

Enemy Feminisms by Sophie Lewis is a great book that looks at the history and modern movements of white women and their role in promoting far-right rhetoric and the appropriation of feminism against marginalised people. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall is another amazing book about the role of black and brown women in liberation movements. If you also want to understand nationalism, George Orwell’s Notes on Nationalism remains one of the most defining texts in political literature for a reason, as he dissects in a very accessible way why nationalism is not patriotic at all.

Find your community

If you are a new university student starting this month or in October, consider joining your university’s society for people of colour. As someone who went to a very white university, the society for people of colour was a lifesaver because you had a group of people who understood what you may be going through when dealing with feelings of isolation and fear.

Practice self-care

Taking care of yourself is incredibly important. The updates on the news and social media are helpful, but can further instil feelings of hopelessness. You are not a bad activist if you need to log off; you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of your community.