Britain Needs a Revival of Grassroots, Cross-Racial Anti-Racist Movements Modeled on 1970s Asian Youth Movements
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/taj-ali. "Britain’s far-right violence comes to us direct from the 1970s. But so does the solution | Taj Ali | The Guardian." September 23, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that since racist violence in Britain today looks a lot like the racist violence of the 1970s, we should bring back the successful grassroots strategies used back then—ordinary people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds banding together, especially with the white working class, to physically and socially resist the far right. He says relying on paid 'race relations' professionals and self-appointed community leaders hasn't worked, and that new movements popping up today, inspired by that history, are the way forward.
Conclusion
Britain urgently needs a grassroots, class-based, cross-racial anti-racist movement inspired by the 1970s Asian youth movements to combat the resurgence of far-right violence.
Premises
- Far-right racist violence has returned with shocking ferocity, comparable to or exceeding the racist violence of the 1970s (e.g., the 2024 riots, mosque attacks every five days, racially motivated street assaults).
- The 1970s Asian youth movements successfully defended communities from racist violence through direct, grassroots, community-rooted organizing rather than relying on institutions or the state.
- These movements succeeded partly because they united across racial lines under the banner of 'political blackness,' recognizing shared oppression among South Asian, African, and Caribbean people.
- These movements also built solidarity across class lines, notably supporting white working-class communities during the miners' strike, which created lasting bonds and undermined racist division.
- Anti-racist activism has since become institutionalized into a 'race-relations industry' and reliant on self-appointed 'community leaders,' which has weakened grassroots power and authentic community representation.
- Racism is not experienced equally—it varies by class, gender, geography, and migration status—so an effective movement must be strategic and prioritize the most vulnerable.
- New organizations like the Nottinghamshire Solidarity Network and the Greater Manchester Workers' and Tenants' Association show that this grassroots, class-conscious, cross-community model is already re-emerging and can work today.
Assumptions
- Grassroots, community-based activism is inherently more effective than institutional or state-led approaches to combating racism.
- The socio-political conditions of today are similar enough to the 1970s that the same organizing strategies will be effective.
- Cross-racial and cross-class solidarity can be built and sustained despite differing specific experiences of racism.
- The far right's growth is significantly driven by working-class deprivation and despair, making class-based organizing a key counter-strategy.
- State and institutional actors are unwilling or unable to adequately address racist violence, necessitating civilian-led action.
- Historical successes (e.g., 1970s movements) can be replicated in a modern context without accounting for major structural or technological changes (e.g., social media's role in radicalization).