Mold anti-fascist counter demonstration

The Mold anti-fascist counter demonstration showed once again that when the far right tries to bring hate to our streets, they will be met with resistance. It also offers a blueprint for how anti-fascist groups should mobilise in rural communities.

The counter-demonstration was vibrant and defiant. With drums, music and chanting, it felt more like a celebration of solidarity than a reaction to division. Communists joined with anti-fascists of all kinds, proving that when our communities are threatened, we come together to stand strong.

Despite attempts to disguise their intentions, the far-right demonstration exposed itself for what it really was. A shocking Enoch Powell banner appeared, alongside racist placards that used images of white families with the slogan “this is what a refugee looks like.” Below them, pictures of people of black, Arabic and Asian ethnicity claimed that refugees “don’t look like this.” These were not “concerns about housing.” They were racist attacks dressed up as political debate.

As tensions rose, it became clear who was escalating the situation. A fascist threw a sign toward the counter-demonstration, forcing the police to intervene. By the end of the day, one arrest had been made. The hostility did not begin there. In the lead-up, racist graffiti was daubed on the building, threatening to set it on fire if asylum seekers moved in. This is the level of intimidation the far right brings into our communities.

The False Narrative of “Taxpayer Concerns”

Organisers tried to justify their protest by talking about taxpayer money and government contracts with companies like Clearsprings. Let us be clear: many of us also oppose profiteering from asylum housing. That is not what their protest was about. Their banners and placards gave them away. This was about stoking fear, spreading division, and targeting vulnerable people.

Our Communities Will Not Be Divided

These protests have become rallying points for far-right groups hoping to infiltrate and spread their poison in our communities. But yesterday showed that they are not unopposed. The drums, the chants, the energy all sent one message loud and clear: we will not tolerate racism, fascism, or division.

Solidarity is stronger than hate. Asylum Seekers are welcome here. Our fight is not only against the far right, but for a society where everyone can live in safety and dignity.