This motion was passed at a GUCU Branch meeting on 13/08/2024
This branch notes that:
- Violent far-right racist, fascist attacks have taken place against Black, Brown, Muslim and migrant communities across the country since July 29th. This is a clear reflection of ongoing and long-term Islamophobia, anti-migrant sentiments, coloniality, and racism prevalent in the UK, which has been stirred-up by successive Governments and the right-wing press.
- This violence and the responses to it has demonstrated, like in the decades before, that communities keep each other safe, not increased policing and surveillance.
- GUCU is committed to opposing and organising against discriminatory terrorism, violence and prejudice in all specific and intersectional forms.
This branch believes that:
- GUCU believes that these racist and fascist attacks should be denounced by all institutions. They should not be seen as isolated incidents but a larger pattern of growing Islamophobia, anti-migrant sentiments and racism in the UK. There should be no legitimisation of these attacks and white supremacist, fascist, and racist violence should be opposed and fought wherever it emerges. Expanding racist police powers and increasing surveillance is not the answer to this violence. We believe community organising and building and supporting anti racist solidarity and movements should be the focus.
This branch resolves:
- To support trade union opposition and organising, including signing this Trade Union open letter on behalf of the branch.
- To write to SMT to insist on a forceful condemnation of this violence across the UK and in the local community, to remind them to honour their anti racist commitments to GARA and the local community, to ask them to offer increased support and care to affected students and staff, and to demand that they name this violence as racist, anti-migrant, and fascist in their communications to students and staff.
- Now more than ever SMT must finally address our resolves for our Motion of March 13 2023 concerning the depiction of local neo-Nazis on its ‘Battle of Lewisham’ Mural.
- To follow up on their own commitments to their Race Justice Strategy.
- We resolve to send a message of solidarity to local Muslim organisations and institutions to acknowledge the specific Islamophobic nature of these attacks.
- We will continue to attend counter-demonstrations in our local area and support and defend our community. We will continue to oppose the over policing and racialised state surveillance of our communities by supporting the work of local organisations like copwatch, anti-raids etc.