In the UK, a big chunk of the population is becoming more vocal in their fight against racism and right-wing beliefs that is fast becoming normalized. On September 13 two opposing rallies were held in London: one called “Unite the Kingdom”, promoted by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and the other called “Stand Up To Racism”, a counter-protest to support minority sectors targeted by those opposing granting human rights to the minority sectors.
“Unite the Kingdom” backers were, basically, complaining about the assumed better treatment of immigrants (legal or not) into UK. In 2024, there were over 84,000 asylum applications in the UK, with the number increasing to over 88,000 as of June 2025. And for many people here, this is an issue because – even while life has become hard in the UK – those who successfully qualify for asylum get benefits that should be theirs, including support for living costs, education, and childcare.
“Stand Up To Racism” backers, however, eye to shift the narrative, not towards each other but against systems that are making life hard for all. To do this means dealing with intersectional issues.
For instance, UK helped US in invading Iraq, killing millions of people while destroying a sovereign nation that, even now, is reeling from the impacts of the invasion. Such abuses created refugees that invading powers now refuse to help.
Also, UK’s Royal Family is said to cost taxpayers as much as £510m a year… and that’s even if its members do not hold real jobs.
And even as the UK government cuts expenditures on social services, it still finances Israel’s invasion of Palestine.
Sadly, those in positions of power managed to make the oppressed fight with each other. So that poor Londoners, for instance, pick fights over poorer refugees.
So the push now is to redirect the narrative of the struggle so that the focus is shifted from hate to instead focus on dealing with inequalities that affect all.
