To mark UN Anti-Racism Day, hundreds gathered outside of Cardiff City Hall and marched on the Senedd to demonstrate against racial hatred on Sunday.
By Glyn Owen, all images by Tom Davies (full photo reel at bottom)
The action had been organised jointly by TUC Cymru and Stand Up to Racism (SUtR) Wales, in what was the first such march to take place in 3 years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Similar events were also held in London and Glasgow.
The day saw a strong trade union presence as well as contingents from anti-racism campaign groups including Black Lives Matter, political organisations and families failed by racism in the Welsh police and justice system.
Banners could be seen from unions including Unison, NASUWT, Unite, CWU, FBU, TSSA, NEU.
General Secretary of TUC Cymru, Shavanah Taj, began proceedings by calling out Tory anti-union activities in the involvement in the sacking of P&O Ferries workers, as well as highlighting failures with the current cost of living crisis.
She drew a large cheer from the crowd as she passionately called for migrants to be treated with dignity and respect: “Wales is a nation of sanctuary for everyone that needs it,” she said.
Image: Savannah Taj, TUC Cymru Secretary, by Tom Davies
Present at the protest were those representing families in Wales who have been forced onto the frontline in the fight against racism in the Welsh police and justice system, including Mohamud Hassan, Christopher Kapessa, Siyanda Mngaza and Mouayed Bashir.
This element was powerfully expressed by the mother of Siyanda Mngaza, Cammilla Mngaza, who is leading the Free Siyanda Campaign after her daughter was jailed for what she maintains was self defence against a racially motivated attack. In her impassioned speech, Cammilla Mngaza called out police forces in Wales as being institutionally racist and thanked many of the trade unions that were present for supporting the campaign.
“We need to unite against an institutionally racist system,” she said, imploring trade unionists to support families like hers “because you’re the voice that can change this and eliminate racism for good.”
Adam Price, the leader of Plaid Cymru, addressed the protest by slamming the Sewell race report for “white washing” endemic racism in the UK and “gas-lighting” families who try to seek justice for victims.
He also attacked the Tories’ for having a “racist agenda”, while calling for the Welsh Government to go further in tackling its own failures in addressing institutionalised racism. he finished by iterating that Wales cannot be free unless there is freedom for everyone in the country.
On the march was Rama, who said she had come over from Newport partly because her daughter was “really into protesting” and “thinks it’s the most fun thing to do.” Rama, who described herself as French Algerian, said her daughter had written more than she ever had in order to make her own placard, which read ‘refugees are welcome.’
Rama said she found it “refreshing” to hear institutional racism acknowledged by senior politicians at the protest. But like others, she said the Ukrainian crisis had served to highlight double standards when it came to refugee solidarity and the appalling treatment of asylum seekers from the global south.
“At school they had this day where they had to dress in blue and yellow [for Ukraine] and it’s really multicultural,” she said. “They’re gonna have like Syrian families and like Ethiopian families [at the school]. What do they feel about that kind of double standards?”
At the protest, there were ferocious attacks on the UK Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill, which will criminalise asylum seekers who try to come to Britain via the English Channel.
Nimi Trivedi, from SUtR Wales and one of the organisers of the protest, said the Bill will only lead to more deaths in the English channel, leading chants of “all refugees are welcome here”.
These calls were supported at the highest levels of the Welsh Government. Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, echoed the message of solidarity with all migrants and attacked racist legislation from the Tory government.
She called on those gathered to help push the Welsh Government into implementing an ‘anti-racism plan for Wales’.
Geraint Davies, the Labour MP for Swansea West, told the crowd that, “we’re here in unity against the Nationality and Borders Bill and we’re also here in unity against the Police and Crime Bill. This protest could be dispersed for being too noisy when that Bill comes in.”
Others were also critical of the Welsh Government itself. At the Senedd, speakers also included trade unions and anti-racist activists such as Nelly Adam, a poet rapper and Abyd Quinn Aziz from Race Alliance Wales.
Attending the protest was Venea, a Muslim woman who had come over from Newport. “I think it’s important that people unite against all forms of racism or forms of marginalisation and discrimination,” she said. “I’m starting to get a bit more involved in causes, I think it’s easy to sit on your hands and hope that the world becomes a better place.”
She too highlighted the appalling treatment of asylum seekers from the global south which had been highlighted in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
But Venea said that the message of a national effort to combat racism and opposition to institutional racism in the police had stood out to her at the protest. “That’s what I really give a shit about,” she said.
Full photo reel by Tom Davies, scroll for images
