13/08/2024
Norwich locals may be aware that there have been recent posts by a group calling itself “Protest With Pride”, using the Progress Flag.
Please be aware that “Protest With Pride” are the same SWP-led group who ignored requests by UEA Staff Pride Group, and Norwich Trans Pride not to give attention or energy to the local far right group attempting to protest at the UEA. SWP activists also threatened to
withhold solidarity from the earlier counter-protest at the UEA if we prevented them from selling papers.
Their posts make no mention of the involvement of SWP organisers, so it is easy to mistake these images as representing actions by allies or the wider Norwich q***r community.
Unfortunately, the leadership of “Protest With Pride” are not allies—they are opportunists. Their supposed opposition to fascism is rooted in vanity and selfishness. This is clear from their pattern of behaviour that is now well known in Norwich’s activism circles.
SWP activists such as Hugh Stanners have been observed employing tactics of co-option, appending themselves uninvited to causes such as BLM and the Palestinian liberation movement, disregarding and dismissing People of Colour and Palestinian activists to serve their own interests. This is clearly happening too within q***r liberation spaces, and it is long past due that this unacceptable behaviour is called out. What “Protest With Pride” is doing is not allyship. It reinforces racism, zionism and q***rphobia.
We should have spoken up for our POC and Palestinian allies much, much earlier, but now we issue this statement in solidarity.
There is also a tendency for these activists to carelessly leave protests without a clear, safe exit plan—sometimes the organisers leave without even announcing this to attendees. This carelessness leaves people in a vulnerable situation in close contact with the far right. This is especially dangerous to marginalised people.
For the health and benefit of all human rights activists and our shared communities in Norwich, we ask you to be aware of the motivations and behaviours of these groups.
We challenge Protest With Pride and the SWP to critically consider their past and present actions.
While this call out is focused on the leadership, we also want to reach out to those who may have the best of intentions—either as allies, or as marginalised people themselves. Please don’t allow yourself to be used as human cover for the political project of cynical and unsafe operators like the SWP and their front, Stand Up To Racism (SUTR).
You don’t need them. They need you.
