Another far-right protest took place this week, and what disturbed me most was seeing women, young people, and even children drawn into it. I arrived just after 1pm and walked past the far-right gathering point. The scene was different from usual, there were hardly any hate-filled placards and banners than usual, but almost everyone was holding a Union Jack or St. George’s flag.
I made my way past the police line to join the anti-racist campaigners. At that point, the numbers seemed evenly matched around 150-200 people on either side.
“Go back where you came from!”
About half an hour later, I witnessed something that left me shocked and saddened. A boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, walked past the counter-protesters with his father and shouted “Send them back” “Go back where you came from!”
Rather than correcting him, the father encouraged it, proudly responding: “Well done, son. You tell ’em.”
Before I could approach them, they walked away. As a father myself, I was disgusted, embarrassed, and ashamed to witness this. That moment summed up one of my biggest fears: children being groomed into hate by their own families.
After speaking with a few activists, I decided to go to the far-right side to see if anyone would be willing to have a genuine conversation. I went with Simone and another media correspondent.
Upon arriving, a young man, around 19 or 20, asked me: “What are you doing here?” Before I could answer, a woman joined in. I said: “I’m here to talk, if you’d like to have a chat.” Initially, they didn’t want to be recorded or photographed, which I respected. We began discussing various topics, including why some people on the anti-racist side were holding Palestinian flags. The conversation was surprisingly calm and respectful. The woman said: “I’m all for multiculturalism, but I’m against the dinghy boat crossings.” I felt I was able to respond thoughtfully, and, importantly, they were listening.
However, this didn’t last long. Some far-right supporters became concerned that I was having a meaningful conversation with their members and called over one of their organisers, Mason Laidler.
Mason approached me aggressively, challenging me to respond to comments he had made about me in one of his recent videos. I calmly replied that some of his statements were inaccurate and defamatory, and that he owed me an apology before I would engage with him further. I did offer to meet him and others to have a proper conversation.
The police
At this point, two police officers approached and asked me to move. I explained that I was having a peaceful conversation with individuals who were willing to engage. Before long, Mason returned with a crowd of his followers, who surrounded me and began hurling abuse.
What alarmed me most wasn’t the shouting or insults from the far-right group, I expected that in their corner. What disturbed me was the reaction of one police officer (Officer X).
Despite being surrounded and verbally abused, the officer didn’t challenge the crowd or attempt to de-escalate the situation even arrest them. Instead, he turned to me and said: “You need to leave, or you’ll be arrested for breach of the peace.” I responded calmly, pointing out the double standard: “So rather than dealing with those attacking me, you’re choosing to move me on, I’m the easy target right?”
I tried to reason with the officer, offering to continue my conversation in his presence, but he insisted I leave. I decided to comply to avoid escalation as a law-abiding Black Muslim man, I know all too well how these situations can be turned against us.
Before leaving, I shook hands with the young man I’d been talking to and asked if he was from Newcastle? “I’m from Wales, moved here to study,” he said. I smiled and replied: “So you’re another immigrant like me welcome to the North!” He quickly responded: “I’m not an immigrant, I’m British.” I laughed lightly and said: “Yeah, me too.”
I also asked the woman to contact me, inviting her to reach out if she ever wanted to have a proper, open discussion.
A sense of hope
This experience was disturbing, but it also gave me a sense of hope. I realised that not everyone on the far-right side is beyond reach. There are people there who want to talk, who feel frustrated and confused, and who have been influenced by propaganda from figures like Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson.
We cannot give up on engagement. If we want to tackle hate, we must be willing to listen, respond, and offer alternative perspectives especially to those being groomed into far-right ideology, including children, young people, and families.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I am prepared to meet, listen, understand, and educate. We need to work collectively to protect people from being drawn into hate, division, and extremism.
We must engage, educate and protect.
First published on Facebook
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