Half a million people descended onto the streets of London on March 28th to show their opposition to the far right and to make clear that anti racists are the majority in Britain.
They came from every corner of Britain. This was a movement built in towns, cities and villages from across the UK. The atmosphere on the march was one of relief and celebration that those on the streets of London where not alone, they were not the isolated ones. Those who had been peddling hate and division were the ones in a minority.
The assembling of an alliance of hundreds of different organisations alongside brave local anti-racist campaigners who have turned out week in week out to stop the fascists using violence to intimidate and scare asylum seekers, produced a powerful force capable of bringing out huge numbers on the day.
The success of the demonstration was brought about by the unity of different movements determined to stop the far right. The movement to free Palestine and stop the war in Iran, the movement to stop climate catastrophe, and throughout the demo placards and chants made clear opposition to misogyny and sexism and support for trans and women’s rights.
One of the most significant aspects of the day was the mobilisation of the trade union movement. Organised labour turned out. It acted as a spine that went right through the march. All the major unions had their own bloc. There has not been such an impressive mobilisation of trade unions in some time. Tens of thousands of trade unionists marched in their designated blocs giving a real sense of our class power.
The multiple crises of war, climate, cost of living and austerity has brought about a powerful movement that can stop the far right and fascists in their tracks and can pose an alternative of peace and justice for all.
Deepen and broaden the movement
To do so we will need to take the energy and dynamism of yesterday’s demo into our college and universities. UCU was out in force on the march. The national leadership ensured that members were encouraged to attend and that resources were spent on ensuring that UCU was proud and visible. We know that in every college and university there are those who can be lured into believing that Farage is an alternative, frustrated by the capitulation of Starmer’s Labour government to the agenda of big business.
We should aim to set up workplace Stand up to Racism groups. Join the UCU Stand Up to Racism WhatsApp group to share ideas of how to build anti racist networks in your college or university. Can we get colleagues out into our communities to join the Don’t Vote Farage campaign in the May 5th local elections?
On May 16th we have another test. Outrageously, but not surprisingly, the police have turned down the Palestine movement’s request (made back in December) for a demonstration ending in Parliament square to commemorate the Nakba. The Palestine coalition has put out this statement. Instead they have granted permission to Tommy Robinson to hold a protest in Whitehall.
We will need to ensure that we march and show our strength against Robinson to ensure we maintain the anti-racist momentum from Saturday’s demo.
We also need to make sure that we turn the energy of Saturday’s demo into organising resistance to redundancies and pay cuts. Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost in our universities. Our employers in FE and universities will now use the war in Iran as an excuse to offer below inflation pay rises. In Lincolnshire Council, where Reform have a majority, they have cut funding to ESOL courses.
If we are to give hope to the one million 16-24 year olds who are not in work, education or training we will need to organise a national campaign across the sectors to defend post 16 education and resist further pay cuts. This needs to happen urgently.
March 28th 2026 can be a turning point, a fork in the road leading us to a new direction of hope and change. We need to organise to ensure it does.
– Sean Vernell, incoming NEC member (2026-28)
