Two marches in two cities bracketed the week of 7 to 13 September. Both had around 110,000 people, and both crowds wore red. Red in the Brussels protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Red St George’s Crosses over the shoulders of marchers in London’s Free Speech Festival against migrants and the alleged killers of Charlie Kirk, in Elon Musk’s words, ‘the far left.’
Joined by French politician Eric Zemmour, a hard-right extremist and Petr Bystron of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the “festival” included a family fearful of knife crime and marchers who genuinely believe in free speech. Let down by education and manipulated by social media, many of the London marchers don’t realise the privilege they have to see the English flag as a symbol of patriotism.
They probably have not read, or connected, the rise of fascism to today’s events, never had to avoid National Front members in the 1980s, or experienced racism after a football match. For them, the St George’s Cross-bearing crowds were genuinely happy patriots, extolling free speech. But there was nothing peaceful about the intent of this march, as Elon Musk’s provocations from a video link to Whitehall threatened, “whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.”
Disinformation about migrants or false threats that they are losing their freedom is tempting thousands into voting for the violence of the far right. The two marches are indicative of ever-deepening polarisation of our societies driven by the increasingly well-networked and effective parties of the far right in Europe and America. Unless national governments and Europe find a way to counteract, the level of violence that is threatened, who will dare to march for freedom and peace soon?
Emma Woodford is the Chief Operating Officer at the European Policy Centre.
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