Hundreds of protesters attended a diversity festival in Swansea, Wales to oppose a small "white pride" rally of around 25 people. The diversity festival celebrated Swansea's multicultural community with musicians, poets, and speakers. Organizers hope to make the diversity festival an annual event to showcase the city's culture and reject the message of hate from the "white pride" rally. While the "white pride" rally was able to hold their event, they were outnumbered and their message was overwhelmed by the support for Swansea's multicultural community shown at the diversity festival.

1. ‘Hate message
goes against
what our city
stands for’Democracy rightly allows for most
groups to express their views in
public, and this was in evidence as
Swansea hosted a rally along with
overwhelming opposition to it.
MATTHEW DRESCH reports
A FESTIVAL to celebrate Swansea’s diversity could take place
next year, ‘white pride’ rally or not.
The Swansea Unites gathering was organised to respond to
Saturday’s rally in a peaceful and meaningful way.
Former Swansea Council leader David Phillips compered on
stage at Castle Square as musicians, poets and speakers took
their turn.
“It was extremely successful,” said Castle ward member Mr
Phillips, who was speaking on behalf of his Unite Against
Fascism colleagues. “We had a wide range of artists and
performers demonstrating the diversity of the city. The quality of
the performances was very good.”
Mr Phillips said the ‘white pride’ rally lasted a little over half an
hour and was “relatively subdued” compared to a previous one.
“They lost energy very quickly,” he said.
The festival meanwhile kept going, despite the deteriorating
weather, up until around 4pm. “We want to make it a regular
event,” said Mr Phillips. “It was clearly very popular.”
Diversity festival a success
H
UNDREDS of protesters
dwarfed a smattering of
skinheads and their
followers at a so-called white
pride rally in Swansea’s Castle
Square.
Around 500 people vociferously
celebrated the city’s diversity at a
specially arranged festival, while the
25 or so in the rally waved flags and
placards.
The two groups exchanged views,
although barricades and a heavy
police presence kept the two sides
separate on either side of the road.
Perhaps the only similarity
between them was the effect of the
worsening weather on their
respective numbers.
Sue Hagerty, who helped
organised the Swansea Unites
festival, said: “Minorities bring so
much to Swansea and we don’t want
people coming in and breaking our
community up.
“I think it’s really important that
we have such a lovely diverse
community in Swansea.”
Tony Webb, a poet from Loughor
who performed at the festival, said: “I
worked in the NHS for 35 years.
Without Filipino nurses and Indian
doctors the NHS would collapse.
Swansea has a proud history of
assimilating multiple cultures.”
Politicians also took part in the
protest, organised by Unite Against
Facism (UAF), against the ‘white
pride’ rally.
Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris
described the ‘white pride’ rally as
divisive and inflammatory.
“There is no room for this stuff in
Swansea,” she said. “I say to the
‘white pride’ lot — go home.”
She added: “This festival shows
people can come together and have
fun just like communities have come
together in Swansea.”
Julie James, AM for Swansea West,
said: “It’s amazing that we have so
many diverse people demonstrating.
They were not welcome last time
they came and they are not welcome
now. They are not even from
Swansea.”
Ms James added: “Swansea is a
city that stood up to fascism in the
war. We are a multicultural city.”
And Swansea West MP Geraint
Davies said: “I’m here to say no to
division and show solidarity with all
of the communities in Swansea.
“It is a city of sanctuary that
celebrates diversity and at times of
cuts and austerity it is easy for the far
right to blame minorities.”
Protesters reminded the ‘white
pride’ contingent that they greatly
outnumbered them.
Those on the ‘white pride’ rally
chanted: “We are white and we are
proud of it.” A spokesman for the
rally called the protesters “work-shy
students”, and added: “It doesn’t
matter how many are standing over
there, we will be back.”
One of the white pride protesters,
who asked the Post not to name him
because he was a civil servant, said:
“The numbers have shrunk — I think
the weather put everyone off and it’s
Easter. People want to spend time
with their families.
“It’s all about celebrating your
culture and history and we want to
celebrate white heritage just like
black history month. We have no
problem with black people.
“It’s a stereotype that we are racist.
I think a racist is when you don’t like
someone who is black and you would
hit them in the back, we won’t do
that. We made a point today, we
turned up and celebrated ‘white
pride day’ and held a minute’s
silence for Belgium.”
Glyn Jones, the chairman of
Swansea UAF, said the protesters
were working class.
“What you have here is a broad
spectrum of Swansea from school
workers to civil servants,” he said.
“The idea that we are work-shy is an
insult. I don’t think they (‘white
pride’ rally) should be allowed in
Swansea to disrupt peoples lives.
“We are saying that the message of
hate goes against what Swansea
stands for. We welcome people into
our community here.”
Several of the ‘white pride’ rally
participants, who gathered at a bar
afterwards, were apparently from
England. It is understood that
anarchists also pitched up.
“ See more pictures online at: southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/pictures
A campaigner makes his point to ‘white pride’ rally members and, below peace lines being drawn up by anti-fascist demonstrators.
Pictures: Adrian White/SWAW20160326F-023_C
Minorities bring so much to
Swansea and we don’t want
people coming in and breaking
our community up. — Sue Hagerty