United Against Racism Holds Successful Public Forum

On Saturday 7 September, the Dublin Branch of United Against Racism held a successful forum on Unite and Fight the Far Right.
150 people crammed into a hall to hear reports on how the far right had attacked people of colour and set fire to refugee centres.
Darragh Adelaide, a local councillor for Clondalkin, spoke about how a Croatian man, Josip Štrok, was murdered within a short distance of where he lived ‘He died because he did not speak English’ Darragh said.
Kitty Holland, a journalist gave some background on articles she had written on Dublin Northside working class community. She pointed to high levels of deprivation, anger over the housing crisis and the failure to provide enough resources for special needs.
Houria Bouteldja spoke of her experience in France in combating Islamophobia. She urged those present to fight both the far right and state racism from which it drew sustenance.
After the plenary participants broke into workshops to discuss the role of unions, how to counter the far right and social media.
The meeting exudes a new confidence with many younger people present.
A trade unionist from Belfast described how people had come out against the far right in big numbers after they organised a pogrom against shops owned by Muslim people.
15,000 people eventually turned up to a rally in the city centre to reject their message of hate.
The message was clear- if they can be driven back in Belfast, they can also be driven back in Dublin.