In Dover and Portsmouth at the weekend, mobs of masked vigilantes in balaclavas acted in an intimidating and racist manner (‘Army of Christian patriots’: how a black-clad vigilante group swarmed Portsmouth, 8 September). Critical infrastructure was blocked, with roads, boats and transport disrupted. Police officers were injured and vehicles damaged. Permission for the orchestrated demonstrations was not sought or granted. Arrests? None.
Imagine if this had been a masked pro-Palestine protest or an unauthorised environmental action disturbing the flow of traffic, intimidating the public and injuring police officers. There would have been hundreds of arrests. So, we have an extraordinary example of “two-tier policing”, with the police service being tough on Palestine and climate protesters while going easy on anti-immigrant demonstrations.
To be consistent, it’s time to call for extremist racist organisations such as Patriot Platform to be designated as “terrorists”. Or, at the very least, for the government and police to use the many powers they have to take robust action against the participants of this kind of shocking whipping up of hatred that has already led to racist pogroms in many parts of the UK.
Gideon Ben-Tovim
University of Liverpool
Zoe Williams is right to expose the hollowness of the hard right’s claim to “protect … our women” (Why does the hard right have such a high tolerance for domestic abusers in their midst?, 7 September). Last year, I was one of a number of women in a group protesting against Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march. As we waited for our train home, our group was attacked by some of his supporters. I was punched in the face. I am due to give evidence in the resulting court case.
The contradiction is hard to miss. A movement that presents migrants and refugees as a threat to women can apparently tolerate intimidation and violence against women who stand in its way.
There is another disturbing contrast. I am due in court myself, charged under the Terrorism Act after sitting peacefully in Trafalgar Square holding a placard saying: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
Masked far-right protesters can march through our streets intimidating refugees, migrants and Muslims, while peaceful protesters face prosecution under terrorism legislation. If the phrase “two-tier justice” means anything, surely this deserves scrutiny.
Name and address supplied
It’s right that to undercut support for racism (Editorial, 7 September), an end to 15-plus years of austerity must be called not just in theory but in practice. That means spending on public services and infrastructure, not cuts, and wages at least keeping pace with inflation.
There is also an immediate task. The far-right mobilisations in Dover and Portsmouth represent an attempt to build a fascist street force fuelled by the words of Reform UK and Restore Britain. As we approach the 90th anniversary of the battle of Cable Street, the lesson remains clear. They must not pass.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
My response to the horrifying sight of masked thugs parading in Dover? A donation to the refugee charity Care4Calais.
Susan Cooper
Iwade, Kent
