After the elections on Thursday, one thing is clear: we cannot afford to wait.
 
Reform UK’s gain of 1453 councillors in the ocal elections in England are a serious warning. They are trying to turn anger over the cost-of-living crisis, collapsing services and political failure into racism, Islamophobia and hatred towards migrants and refugees.
 
And they are not operating in isolation. Their success gives confidence to the wider far right—including Tommy Robinson and the racist street movement he is trying to build.

But there is another side to this story.
Over the last few weeks, Stand Up to Racism supporters have been out across Britain challenging Reform and the far right:

💥 800,000 Stop Reform leaflets distributed (15K in Oxfordshire)
💥 120,000 Don’t Vote Reform newspapers circulated
💥 Campaigning in towns and cities across the country
We have taken the anti-racist argument into communities and shown that Reform can be challenged.
Now we have to go further.

Our volunteers in Oxfordshire did an amazing job given their limited numbers and the time available. Reform UK won no seats in Oxford city, though came second in too many places.  They did win seats in: 

• Banbury Calthorpe and Easington 
• Banbury Cross and Neithrop 
• Banbury Hardwick 
• Banbury Ruscote 
• Bicester West 
• Carterton North West

We aim to do much better next year and want to build as many teams in wards as possible before the next elections to be able to challenge Reform much more strongly.  Email  contact@oxfordstanduptoracism.org.uk if you would like to help with this. 

Can you help us cover our costs.  Please donate us to help us raise £400 to cover the campaign's printng costs. 

Next Saturday we need as many people in London to counter Tommy Robinson's next fascist rally (see below for details)

TIME TO GET ORGANISED

Time to get organised: 

Reform UK, the far right threat & how we turn the tide 

Online post-election organising call - Register now bit.ly/sutr12may

📢Speakers include: Diane Abbott MP, Daniel Kebede NEU, Weyman Bennett and Sabby Dhalu SUTR + local antiracist activists.

Join this meeting to discuss where next after the elections results and how we get organised to resist Reform UK, the far right & Tommy Robinson

Love Music Hate Racism presents

Electronic Against Hate

7-11PM Thurs 14th May

Featuring:

Means of production

Octavia Freud

Moogieman

Fleksi

I4M2

DJ Art Lagun

Tickets £7/£5 online here 

ALL OUT ON MAY 16

Assemble noon, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DB    

On 16 May, fascist Tommy Robinson is calling a demonstration in central

London to spread his racist and Islamophobic hatred. 

He is calling on his far right supporters to mobilise on the same day as the Palestine demonstration to commemorate Nakba day.

Stand Up to Racism is uniting with the Palestine coalition to oppose him on the day and put every antiracist on the streets of London.

Last year, Robinson called the biggest far right demonstration this country has seen. 

Tens of thousands of antiracists opposed them but he must be met with even bigger opposition this time.

That possibility is there. Over 500,000 of us marched with the Together Alliance on the biggest antiracist demonstration in British history. We can prove the strength of our movement against the far right once again.

Farage and Reform UK have taken a leap forward in the elections. This will give a boost to Robinson and every racist. We must not let their confidence grow. 

Join us on 16 May to march united for justice for Palestine and to oppose Tommy Robinson and his racist supporters.

Reserve your seat on Oxford transport to the Unity against Tommy Robinson counter-demo.

We need to raise £90 for posters and flyers to help build the march - can you make a donation?

Protest: No Platform for Fascist Tommy Robinson at the Oxford Union   

💥Thursday 28 May 6.30pm 

(subject to change as the president of the Oxford Union is trying to obscure the date to avoid protest)

📍St Michael's Street, Oxford OX1 2EB

Called by Oxford Stand Up to Racism

The Oxford Union a private debating club has invited Britain's #1 fascist, Tommy Robinson, to speak in a "debate" on whether the West is right to be "suspicious of Islam".  Robinson has multiple convictions ...for violence, stalking, racism, and fraud.  He has spent over a decade demonising Muslims, including leading thousands of racist thugs through towns and cities who chanted "You build your mosques, we'll burn them down".

By inviting Robinson the Oxford Union is helping to boost and legitimise Robinson's racism and fascism.  This invitation can only give confidence to his supporters to be more active and boost Robinson's ability to build a fascist street movement.

This is not about the oxford Union standing up for freedom of speech, or defeating fascism through clever debate.  This is about saying fascism has a legitimate point of view, that the 13 million who died in the Holocaust, and the nightmare experiences under fascist rule,  have nothing to tell us about the goals and methods of fascism.  

Fascism has no place in our society and every effort should be taken to marginalise advocates of fascism - not giving them prestige by claiming they have something legitmate to say in any debate.

At a time of rising racist attacks and increased far right and fascist activity in the UK this invitation is dangerous, and negligent of the safety and peace of Oxford's diverse community.  We have already had a year of Tommy Robinson supporters targetting refugees, Palestine activists and the left in Oxford, and have worked hard to counter their movement.  Oxford Union is undermining the work to keep Oxford an anti-racist and anti-fascist city.

We call on the Oxford Union to cancel the invitation, and will  build the biggest protest possible if the president of the Oxford Union insists on inviting Robinson to the debate.