News of the terrorist attack on Jewish people attending synagogue in Manchester this morning is horrifying and appalling. At the time of writing, two people are reported to have been killed and a further three are seriously injured. The attacker was also shot dead by police.
Socialist Alternative sends solidarity to all those affected by this disgusting violence, particularly to those injured and grieving. We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. Antisemitism, just like all forms of racism, is a poison. The workers’ movement has a duty to stand up to it. This is an essential component of the struggle to unify the working class.
For a national Your Party demonstration against racism
Details about who the attacker was and what motivated them to carry out this appalling act have yet to be clarified. Despite this, there is already a loud and growing chorus of pro-capitalist journalists and far-right agitators who are not only purporting to know the killer’s motives, but are attempting to cynically weaponise this horror to stir up hatred against other minorities – particularly Muslims.
This comes on the back of a summer in which the far right have been on the march and racist rhetoric about migrants and refugees has been spewing bountifully from the mouths of capitalist politicians of all colours.
This is a dangerous political moment – which contains within it the possibility of a serious escalation of racist division and tension between different communities in Britain. Many millions will go to bed tonight even more fearful as a result of the day’s events. In the face of this, it is absolutely incumbent on the workers’ movement to take decisive action to fight to turn back the tide on all forms of racism.
As a first step, Socialist Alternative is calling for Your Party nationally, working alongside the trade unions, to pull together a huge national march against racism and the far right. Such a demonstration could strongly push back against rising islamophobia and antisemitism – linking this to the fight for decent homes and services for all, and opposing the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
No to repression
Equally importantly, our movement must reject any attempt to use this horror as a pretext for cracking down on the mass, peaceful movement in support of the Palestinians. Already Starmer’s government has unleashed unprecedented repression on peaceful activists via the proscription of Palestine Action.
Today, there is a false narrative being peddled which seeks to link the huge Palestine marches, which have included many Jewish people, to this appalling act of terrorism against Jews. This is an insult to the many millions who have participated in this movement and particularly to the many Jewish participants within it – including many activists carrying out a Yom Kippur ‘fast for Gaza’ outside parliament, in protest at the UK government’s complicity in genocide.
The solidarity movement that has been building internationally has in recent weeks reached new heights – particularly with the huge wave of strikes and protests in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla. This movement stands in the best traditions of solidarity and anti-racism. In the next period it must be expanded and escalated. Trade unions here should follow in the footsteps of those in Europe and fight to build solidarity to end this genocide.
