On the evening of Monday, August 5, a WhatsApp message was making the rounds. Far-right groups planned to march in Harrow. We had seen the violence and thuggery they brought with them in other parts of England in the preceding days.
We were all scared; we didn’t want to see this in Harrow, one of the most diverse boroughs in the UK. According to the 2021 census, 45% of people living here identify as Asian, 36% as White, with Black, Arabs and Eastern Europeans making up the remainder.
Having lived in Harrow all my life, I have never feared leaving my house and have always felt that the people of Harrow get along very well and celebrate each other’s differences rather than make an issue out of them.
As soon as news broke out of the far-right planning to come to Harrow, Pamela Fitzpatrick, an independent parliamentary candidate for Harrow West at the last general election, and her team got to work organising a counter anti-racism rally. They informed the police and leafletted the local area to notify every one of their plans.
We had seen the destruction that far-right protests brought on the news and on social media. They had attacked Black and Asian people for no reason other than the colour of their skin; they had vandalised mosques and had incited violence towards Muslims with Islamophobic chants. Nobody wanted to see them do this in our country, and certainly not in our locality.
We needed to show them how their views are not universal, and most people do not agree with their racism and division.
As Wednesday evening approached, all of Harrow was worried about what the arrival of the far-right might lead to. Shops, nurseries, and GP surgeries all closed early. There was a large police presence on the streets, and people were afraid to leave their houses.
The local mosque issued a statement advising everyone to remain vigilant and avoid counter-demonstrations.
I had always planned on attending the counter-demonstration and had been asked by the organising team to speak at the rally. However, I had to keep my attendance a secret from my family, who I knew would stop me from attending. For them, the risk of violence and staying safe outweighed the importance of showing the far right and the rest of the country that most of Harrow is loving of each other and celebrates diversity.
As evening approached, I made my way outside North Harrow Library, where the counter-demonstration was taking place. Already about 200 people had gathered; more were making their way. People of all colours, faiths, and nationalities. I could see placards saying, ‘No to racism’. People were chanting, ‘We are the people, we stand united, stop the fascists now, now, now, now.’
About 500 people attended the rally. People standing outside the library, in smaller groups across the streets. No one from the far-right attended.
There were Whites, Asians, Blacks, and others, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and people without any religion, all standing side by side, united, rejecting racism and Islamophobia, and celebrating the community we live in.
I spoke at the rally about how the far-right violence did not come out of the blue, and how our politicians and media share responsibility for legitimising Islamophobia. Over the last 30 years, we have seen our two major parties govern.
They have introduced racist anti-terrorism legislation that disproportionately targets Muslims; they have introduced Prevent, which is a tool to spy on Muslims; they have started and supported wars against Muslim countries based on lies; and they have contributed towards racist and Islamophobic anti-immigration rhetoric. I also emphasised the importance of immigration, and how our NHS and schools depend on it.
My feelings at the end of Wednesday were primarily relief that the rumours of the far-right coming to Harrow did not materialise, but also gratitude to my fellow Harrow citizens who showed in their numbers what a great place Harrow is to live in.
Photo: Dr. Muhammad Asaria addressing an anti-racism rally near North Harrow Community Library on August 14.
(Credit: Aghileh Marbini)
Dr Muhammad Asaria
Harrow resident and Emergency Medicine Consultant
READ MORE
Over 1,000 arrested in far-right riots targeting mosques, Muslim cemetery, and healthcare workers
London Mayor pledges support for mosques in wake of far-right riots
Report: Institutional racism fuels surge in violence against people of colour in UK
