By Peter McGregor
CW: Islamophobia, racism, gender violence
Since early August we’ve seen far-right racist and Islamaphobic pogroms, riots and violence erupt across the UK and Northern Ireland against migrants, refugees and people of colour. In Belfast, far right agitators led a mob through South Belfast where businesses were attacked and people of colour terrorised. Riots and/or attacks happened every night consecutively for a week in different parts of Belfast, and reports of targeted assaults continue to emerge nearly every day since.
These attacks were organised and led by networks of far-right agitators who, cynically and disgustingly, used the horrific murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar in Southport to stir-up violence and destruction. In doing this, the far-right has diverted the attention away from the victims of the attack and pushed misinformation about the attacker in an attempt to exploit the heartbreaking situation to push their agenda of hate.
The far-right have always sought to scape-goat Muslims, migrants, refugees and people of colour for the housing crisis, NHS crisis and gender-based violence. There must be an active movement against the far-right to not only drive them back but also to ensure the conditions which allow them to grow are done away with.
Far-right are a global threat
The rise of the far-right in England and the north of Ireland is connected to the growth of the far-right and reactionary ideas across the globe. In France, the far-right Rassemblement National were only blocked from taking power by mass protests pushing for the organisation of the Nouveau Front Populaire, an alliance including different left parties and forces; in the US a second Trump presidency is on the cards; the far-right Israeli state is committing genocide in Gaza; and in the south of Ireland the far-right have recently rioted outside of and set fire to a proposed asylum seeker accommodation site in Coolock.
The far-right have been able to organise internationally due to the crisis of capitalism which working-class people are paying for. Following the 2008 financial crash, the world economy has slowed year-on-year and is predicted to slow even further over the next 5 years. In order to pay for this and ensure that their lives are not affected, the ruling capitalist class have hyper-exploited working-class people; prices are outpacing wages, 4.8 billion people are poorer than they were in 2019 but at the same time the 5 richest men in the world have doubled their wealth.
Capitalist crisis leads to polarisation
The traditional ‘centre ground’ of politics has lost credibility for many people. Capitalism’s crisis ridden way of life has led to polarisation and misery, meaning that people are looking for an alternative to explain the suffering they are facing. This can express itself in powerful and inspirational ways like the May 10 general strike against Milei’s government in Argentina and struggles in Afghanistan against the Taliban. However, polarisation can also mean a growth in far-right and reactionary ideas as grifters punch down and push lies about who the real culprits are.
Throughout the Covid crisis the far-right grew by spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories. Now they have been given confidence and cover to organise further by capitalist governments internationally shifting to the right., carrying out attacks on women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights, and pushing racist tropes about immigration.
But those in power and those who seek to maintain this system which has inequality and hierarchy written into its DNA are also going on the offensive against struggles against oppression. Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, Ni Una Menos, End SARS, Repeal the 8th and many other anti-oppression struggles have been to the fore since the 2010s. These movements show a glimpse of the full potential of mass struggle and have left the ruling class worried. In an attempt to stunt the growth of the revolutionary potential of these struggles, the capitalist system has gone on the offensive and pushed back on many of the gains made by anti-oppression struggles.
In the US, Roe v Wade was overturned and anti-trans bills put forward and passed in many states; in Brazil abortion rights are under attack, and in August UUP Health Minister Mike Nesbitt got approval from Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O’Neill and DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly to extend the UK government’s ban on puberty blockers here. Meanwhile Starmer’s Labour government is continuing Tory style policies on ‘small boats’ and announcing a ‘major surge’ in deportations.
Capitalism breeds reaction and the far-right. Racism, sexism, misogyny, ableism and LGBTQIA+phobia are stitched into the fabric of this system. The far-right pose as some sort of radical anti-system, anti-elite force but in reality they lean into and utilise the exact same ideology and tools of the system. The likes of Andrew Tate, Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson pushing the toxic ideas of the manosphere, propped up by algorithms of social media companies, have managed to resonate especially with young, white, disenfranchised men. By attacking the living conditions of working-class people and pushing reactionary ideas, capitalism has created the perfect playing field for the far-right to grow and opportunistically exploit and divert anger away from those really to blame – the minority wealthy elite at the top.
Fight the far-right threat and its source
After unleashing fear and violence for a number of days, the far-right were met with large counter-protests across the UK. In Belfast, on 9 August anti-racists massively outnumbered a far-right demo, followed the next day by up to 15 thousand people marching against the attacks. The mass mobilisations against the far-right have knocked their confidence and pushed back their ability to mobilise in large numbers. Despite this, the job is not done- racially motivated hate crimes are continuing daily.
A continued fightback is needed which seeks to force back the far-right through mass mobilisations anytime they rear their heads. We must also organise in our communities, workplaces, trade unions, schools and universities to force back the far-right on every front, ensuring they are tackled and their lies dispelled anywhere they go.
The movement against the far-right must take up the root causes of the problem. The conditions which give rise to the far-right come from the capitalist system and its ruthless drive for profit. In order to defeat the far-right once and for all, the whole system has to be demolished. Pointing to the real culprit, capitalism and those who oversee it is key to undermining the far-right as it challenges their scapegoating and hate-mongering. Equally important is struggling for an alternative to capitalism. It doesn’t always have to be like this, an alternative to both capitalist chaos and far-right thuggery is not only possible, but urgently needed.
The only effective strategy for defeating the far-right is one which makes the case for a socialist alternative, which points a way out of constant crises and which fights to improve the lot of every single working-class person the world over. In order to build a movement on that basis those struggling against the far-right need to link up with those who are struggling against the genocide in Gaza, the young trans people mounting a fightback to the ban on puberty blockers and rampant transphobia, women who are continuing to fight for bodily autonomy, workers who are striking against their greedy bosses and all who are oppressed by this system. Through the linking up of these movements and taking on the common enemy our power is strengthened infinitely.
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