BLM Taunton

18/08/2024

Police had an increased presence in the town on Saturday, August, 17, suspecting a far-right protest was to take place. Instead, "around 60…

18/08/2024

In this week's County Gazette...

⛵ Sailing club remains closed amid fee row
🦚 Street marshal starts his patrols
🗳 Vote for your Beauty Therapist of the Year
👚 WIN: £100 clothes shopping voucher

18/08/2024

Big up and big love to everyone who came out yesterday to kick the fascists off our streets. You did an amazing job, kept up the energy and showed everyone 'This is what community looks like'.

Shout out and thanks to those people and organisations that travelled from around Somerset, Bristol, Exeter and Dorset. Just wow! Thank you for your solidarity, it means so much ✊️

To our new family we look forward to working with you more, building a bigger anti-racist network, campaigning and coming out to your ends to support. Again, blessed and full of gratitude for your commitment to the cause, your support and your love 🖤

Somerset Trade Union Council, thanks for putting this together, it was great to see familiar faces still hard at work 🙏 Liz, you did such a good job leading speeches, keeping everyone up-to-date and generally keeping everything smooth running.

Thanks, local councillors Brenda Weston and Federica Smith-Roberts for coming out and supporting 🙌 Shout out also to all the speakers, Parent Action Group for Equality (PAGE), Bristol's Voice of Men Group, Taunton Welcome Hub, .communists 🫶

If you want to get involved in future events or actions, drop us a message and we can add you to the newly formed Stand Up To Racism Somerset Group, which we are a part of.

18/08/2024

Please send/tag us in your photos from yesterday, so we can share them ✊️🖤

18/08/2024

Just as RAR helped turn the tide on the National Front in 1970s, activists today are planning concerts in this summer’s trouble spots

17/08/2024

The racists didn't turn up to march ✊️✊️ This is what community looks like.

16/08/2024

We will be at the Hope Not Hate Rally at 11am tomorrow. In case people are worried about coming, this will not be a direct face-to-face counter protest. The far right march is from 1pm starting at Hamilton Park.

⚠️ The Police have released a statement about the planned march tomorrow 👇Keep safe everyone ✊️

15/08/2024

Reposted "Legitimate concerns" about migration are thinly veiled racism.

Migrants are being blamed for the Government’s austerity policies, amongst other claims that migrants are “stealing your job” or “invading your country”.

This language of “legitimate concerns” of the ‘average Brit’, using an imagined White working class figure, from politicians also allows them to distance themselves from the racist violence, despite the mobs using rhetoric and slogans of the current and former governments. They position racism (and racist violence) as grassroots/community-led, rather than originating from the top.

Ultimately, anti-migrant violence (both rhetorical and physical) and Islamophobia have been separated from racism. When these forms of oppression are not seen as racist, it allows them to become normalised. It means people can say they have “legitimate concerns about migration” with impunity and no fear of being called racist. When you start ‘legitimising’ concerns about migration you are enabling racism and echoing the far-right.

Read more via the link in bio.

15/08/2024

Hope Not Hate Rally, Saturday 17th August, 11am (tbc)
The Market House, Taunton Town Centre

Forwarded from Somerset Trade Union Council >>>

Friends,

A warm invitation to all anti-racists and anti-fascists across Somerset, Bristol and the west country, to support our rally in Taunton this Saturday 17th August, a day when the far right are still threatening to take to the streets.

Please bring your banners and placards!

"Somerset Stands against Racism and Fascism: Hope not Hate!"

Dave Chapple, Somerset Trades Union Councils' Secretary, said:

"Building on the successful event organised in Taunton last Saturday by Black Lives Matter, all six Somerset Trades Union Councils, based in Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Mendip, Weston and Bath, are calling everyone who can make it to a peaceful unity rally against hatred on our streets.

This will take place on Saturday 17th August, outside the Market House in Taunton town centre at 11.00 am (time to be confirmed). Please come along, with friends and family, to give the message that we will not tolerate hatred and division in our community, and that we will always stand together, to keep our neighbourhoods and streets peaceful, safe and free from violence and fear of violence."

11/08/2024

Thank you once again to everyone who came yesterday! You did a great job showing that in Taunton and than hate.

We had a peaceful protest, full of passion, with no attendance from the right. We had people from many different backgrounds and organisations in attendance, displaying our unity and solidarity.

Very proud of Taunton. Let's keep up the momentum and get ready to mobilise on Saturday 17th August.

If you want to get involved or want us to tag you in pictures, send us a dm.

09/08/2024

Hate Has No Home in Taunton!!!

Thank you for this GoCreate Taunton Solidarity ✊🏾🖤

One Race, Human Race, Share The Love 🫶