Chanie Rosenberg Archive | ETOL Main Page
Letters, Socialist Worker, 29 April 2000.
Copied with thanks from the Socialist Worker Website.
Transcribed by Christian Høgsbjerg.
Marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
THE EFFECT of Ann Widdecombe, Jack Straw and the Sun’s ranting against asylum seekers was dramatically played out when we were selling Socialist Worker last week.
A young man, flanked by two pit bull terriers, took it upon himself to tear down our Asylum Seekers Are Welcome Here poster, while screaming his head off about all Kurds being “rapists”. We immediately responded to physically prevent this attack.
We also challenged him to explain the government’s role in destroying jobs at Rover and handing over council homes to the private sector. We also talked about the bombing of the Balkans, which led to people seeking refuge in the first place. A crowd gathered and started lining up to sign our petition, “Asylum Seekers Are Welcome Here”.
The racist himself got no support from anyone and was completely isolated (except for his dogs). Our experience shows how immediate action in response to these thugs brings out a sense of confidence and human sympathy among the greater numbers of working class people.
Chanie Rosenberg Archive | ETOL Main Page
Last updated: 11 June 2021