Gloucester Welcomes Refugees
The event is being organised by Gloucestershire Solidarity Network and will take place on Sunday, 5 October, with participants meeting at Westgate Car Park between 12:00 and 12:30 pm, for a community counter-protest expected to last several hours.
Organisers say the purpose is to support people seeking asylum, celebrate community, and oppose attempts to stoke division and racism. They warn that nationalist groups are scapegoating asylum seekers, deliberately spreading fear through social media and distracting communities from the real causes of the cost-of-living crisis.
Chloe Turner, leader of Stroud District Council says:
“Political choices have created deep inequality – the richest fifty families have accumulated more wealth than half the population combined – while people in Gloucestershire face soaring bills, poor housing, and public services under strain.
“None of this is the fault of migrants, least of all the vanishingly small proportion seeking asylum. This division is making many who already live here feel unwelcome. We can love where we come from without turning national pride into hate.”
The gathering will be peaceful and friendly, featuring music, singing, speeches, shared food, and positive placards and flags. Organisers stress that it is not just about rejecting division, but also about celebrating welcome: local people from all backgrounds will stand together to show that Gloucestershire is a community of compassion, inclusion and respect. That commitment to solidarity also means rejecting the dangerous myths that link migration with violence, and standing up for all survivors of abuse, whatever their background.
Freddie Janke of the Gloucestershire Solidarity Network says
“At the end of September last year there were 2,395 people who were refugees or individuals seeking asylum, living in Gloucestershire. These people deserve respect. The idea that they are responsible for all our problems when they make up just 0.36% of the county’s population is prejudice and scapegoating.
In particular, it is wrong and racist to suggest all people seeking asylum are a threat to women and girls. Violence and child abuse are terrifyingly common, and all survivors deserve support – whatever their background, including people seeking asylum.
He continues:
“With domestic abuse refuge funding cut by a quarter since 2010, outrage only when perpetrators are from a certain background spreads prejudice and undermines the safety of women and children. We refuse to be divided – the answers lie in standing together in solidarity and finding real solutions.”
Organisers also point to findings from the Giga Poll, the UK’s largest opinion survey, which found that 80% of people enjoy mixing with people from different backgrounds. The same poll shows cost of living is the public’s top concern (56%). In comparison, immigration ranks only fourth at around 25%.
The gathering is in response to a march promoted by the “Patriots of Gloucestershire” branch of the “Great British National Protest,” advertised to start at 1pm.
The counter-protest follows earlier mobilisations in Gloucestershire, including the community defence of people seeking asylum at the Ibis Hotel in August, when far-right protesters targeted the premises. Local residents and groups stood together to prevent intimidation
ByEsme Ashcroft , BBC News, Gloucestershire and Edward Rowe, BBC News, Gloucestershire
The community counter-protest is organised by Gloucestershire Solidarity Network - which has been recently formed and includes representatives from Community Solidarity Stroud District, Na’amod Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire Socialist Party, Communist Party Gloucestershire, Stroud District Together With Refugees, Stroud Against Racism, Stroud and District Trades Council, Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Cheltenham, Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Stroud District, Forest of Dean Stand Up To Racism, Socialist Health Association – South West, and others.
Member discussion