Together Alliance’s Anti-Fascism March: A festival of music, unity, and resistance

In recognition of the interconnectedness of all things, members of the Sacred Earth Activism (SEA) team took part in the UK’s biggest ever demonstration against the far right in London on Saturday.

The aim of the Together Alliance’s anti-fascism and anti-racism march was to create what the organisers described as “a festival of music, unity, and resistance” to help shift the national conversation away from the politics of division.

The organisers had planned for 100,000 protestors but an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 turned up on the day. They included not just members of the public but also representatives from every trade union in the country and non-governmental organisations, ranging from Amnesty International to Friends of the Earth.

Marching from Park Lane to Whitehall, people carrying placards displaying messages such as ‘Fight ignorance, not immigrants’, and ‘No to racism, no to Trump’. They converged on two key areas: Trafalgar Square - which hosted a music stage and performers, such as Billy Bragg and Franz Ferdinand - and Whitehall.

Here, politicians, such as Jeremy Corbyn (leader of Your Party) and Zack Polanski (head of the Green Party) gave speeches, followed by performances by comedians and other musicians. The sound systems in both instances were provided by Glastonbury music festival’s organisers.

The family-friendly rally was a clear rejection of the growing power of the far right, with its focus on racism, colonialism, and power over others. As stated recently in our repositioning statement, SEA recognises that “the forces driving environmental destruction are the same forces that give rise to war, genocide, imperialism, land theft, and displacement, rooted in an extractivist, domination-based world view and a deep sickness of separation.”

It is because of this that we walked in solidarity with so many people from across the country on Saturday. As such, we will continue to answer the call for the profound transformation required to live sustainable, humane and fulfilled lives, infused with a sense of connection to the Earth and the sacred.

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