‘Self-defence is no offence’ – sign call for release of convicted anti-racist protesters

Two Muslim men sentenced jailed in Starmer’s police-state clampdown for ‘defending themselves’ against ‘racist attack’

On 9 August, Sameer Ali and Adnan Ghafoor were jailed for twenty months and thirty months respectively for affray after fighting a group of racist thugs during August’s far-right terror campaign. Anti-racist groups have issued a letter calling for their convictions to be quashed and have opened it to the public for signatures, titled ‘Self-defence is no offence’. It reads:

SELF DEFENCE IS NO OFFENCE!

On Friday 9th August, at Leeds Crown Court, 2 Muslim Asian men who had defended themselves from the white pogroms of early August, were sentenced to nearly 2 years and 2 and half years respectively. The Leeds 2 were at a Palestinian liberation demonstration on August 5th when the nationalist pogroms began. 200 white supremacists attacked the community at the demo, shouting “P*ki” and other racial slurs, levelled at Black and brown people, particularly Muslims. The police did little to protect the demonstrators, treating the perpetrators and victims of this racial attack the same.

The Leeds 2 defended themselves and were charged with affray. Less than a week later, the Leeds 2 were sent to trial at Leeds Crown Court through a fast tracked process, that meant they were unable to mount a reasonable legal defence. They both pled guilty and received hefty custodial sentences.

Connected cases have also arisen in Birmingham. One Muslim man was initially arrested based on rumours that he was carrying a sword at an uneventful demo in Bordesley Green, where hundreds of community members showed up to protect their mosque from fascists who were too afraid to get out of their cars. This “weapon” turned out to be a wooden staff that he carries for religious reasons. Despite the fact that this is clearly not a dangerous weapon, this community member was remanded to custody after only a 20 minute hearing.

Treating victims of harm that defend themselves as aggressors is an affront and is evidence of the racist ‘justice’ system in this country. This is further evidenced by the judge’s decision to sentence one white man in Bolton with just two months despite establishing he was involved in the racist riots. These are not ‘far-right activists’ who were ‘protesting’, they are violent fascists who are firebombing asylum hotels and brutalising our communities.

This brings to mind the Bradford 12, who defended the Black and brown communities against the British National Party in the 1980’s. They were charged with multiple offences, but ultimately freed by a campaign that made it clear: self defence is no offence!

Just as hundreds of people mobilised to the courtroom for the Bradford 12, seeing them ultimately freed, we must come together to stand against this egregious act of injustice. Black, brown and racialised peoples must join up, just as we did in the 80’s in Leeds, Bradford, Birmingham, Hounslow, London and across the so called ‘UK’, we demand justice for the Leeds 2 and all those who have been arrested for taking a stand against fascism.

We are in unwavering solidarity with the Leeds 2 and demand all charges brought against victims to be dropped. Our focus must be eliminating the root cause of this decades-long programme of nationalism and white supremacy for good, and keeping our communities safe from fascism.

Self defence against the national white supremacist pogroms of 2024 are no offence.

Free the Leeds 2! Free them all!

Brought by northern abolitionists, CAGE International, BLM UK and Brum Food Not Cops.

People and groups, in solidarity with the Leeds 2 please sign below.

Keir Starmer, the unpopular right-winger who is now red-Tory PM colluded with the Tories on a series of laws designed to move the UK closer to an outright police-state – including helping to defeat a Commons vote to protect journalists from state persecution. Israel has murdered almost 200,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children. Starmer at one point defended Israel’s right to deprive Palestinians of food, water and fuel, then later denied ever saying it.

Since he deceived his way into the Labour party leadership, Skwawkbox has warned that Starmer would increase repression of protest and dissent if he got into power and this has already been manifested in various ways, including the arrest and charging of an anti-genocide journalist for supporting Palestinian rights and freedom.

Starmer became PM courtesy of the fascist Reform ‘party’, which gifted Labour a large number of seats. Of the ninety-eight seats in which Reform came second in July’s general election, Labour won eighty-nine, a number higher than its eventual parliamentary majority despite receiving far fewer votes than Corbyn’s Labour in 2017 and the supposedly-disastrous 2019 general election.

Those who wish to sign in support with the jailed Leeds pair can do so here.

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