9 – 23 July 2024 In this week’s Calendar of Racism and Resistance, the disturbances in Harehills, east Leeds, which started after children from a Roma family were forcibly taken by social services, loom large. We chart the fight-back of the community, particularly the Roma and BME young people, to the multiple harms experienced, including the spread
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Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 9 – 23rd July 2024)
ELECTORAL POLITICS| GOVERNMENT POLICY As anti-migrant, anti-equalities, anti-abortion, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQI rhetoric in electoral campaigning are increasingly interlinked, we reflect this in the coverage below which also includes information on the influence of the Christian Right as well as the religious Right generally. 9 July: In his first Commons speech as prime minister, Starmer hails the
The attack on welfare: from disability benefits to asylum support
Image header: On 23 March 2012, a painted mural composed of the drawings, ideas and messages of disabled asylum seekers was installed in Bristol. Credit: Disability Murals Sophia Siddiqui analyses the outgoing government’s attack on disability social security, showing how it drew on stigmatising moral panics and followed a similar approach to the attack on
Will the new government break with the punitive approach to the poor and marginalised?
25 June – 9 July In his victory speech, the new prime minister spoke of a ‘mission of national renewal’, promising to reward those who ‘work hard’ and play by the rules’. Although early days, it was disappointing that Sir Keir Starmer did not outline how his ‘Country First’ programme for ‘working people’ would benefit
Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 25 June – 9 July 2024)
ELECTORAL POLITICS| GOVERNMENT POLICY 26 June: The German government approves legislation to simplify deportations to Afghanistan, Syria and other countries for those who express support for terrorism, including through ‘liking’ social media posts, with no conviction necessary for an individual to be deported. (Deutsche Welle, 26 June 2024) 26 June: Labour is accused of ‘not
From the perspective of the marginalised: challenging punitive policies on school withdrawal
The withdrawal of children from education is a consequence of neoliberalism Will Labour offer a new approach to issues of school attendance, or will it continue, like the Conservatives, to feign ignorance on the real issues why school absence is increasing, and further punish parents? Now could be the time to re-set the agenda
Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 11 – 25 June 2024)
ELECTORAL POLITICS | GOVERNMENT POLICY 12 June: More European parliamentary (EP) election results show a breakthrough for S.O.S. Romania, which wins two seats. In Spain and Portugal, the far-right vote declines from previously national elections, though more EP seats are secured by Vox (+2, 6 total) and Chega (+2, 2 total). In Greece, the far-right
Calendar of Racism and Resistance ( 28 May – 11 June 2024)
ELECTORAL POLITICS | GOVERNMENT POLICY 28 May: La France Insoumise MP Sébastien Delogu is suspended from parliament for two weeks for waving a Palestinian flag during a debate about whether France should recognise a Palestinian state. (Le Monde, 28 May 2024) 30 May: After being barred from standing in the general election as the Labour
Calendar of racism and resistance ( 14 – 28 May 2024)
ELECTORAL POLITICS | GOVERNMENT POLICY As anti-migrant, anti-equalities, anti-abortion, misogynistic and anti-LGBTQI rhetoric in electoral campaigning are increasingly interlinked, we reflect this in the coverage below which also includes information on the influence of the Christian Right as well as the religious Right generally. 14 May: A court finds Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Björn Höcke
International solidarity with Palestine: the campus crackdown
30 April – 14 May 2024 As the Israeli offensive in Rafah intensifies, human rights organisations warn that there are virtually no medical facilities left to treat the wounded, let alone provide normal health care. Meanwhile, across Europe, the right of students to express solidarity with Palestinians is under attack from hard-right politicians and sections of the