Hastings SUTR and Women Against the Far Right were proud to contribute towards the annual Women’s Voice “Hear me Roar” festival for International Women’s Day. Fittingly, at a time when we have a white-supremacist sex offender in the White House and Reform UK topping the polls, the theme was Resistance to Sexism and Racism.
As well as unveiling our beautiful ‘Hastings Women Against the Far Right’ banner, hand-sewn by a team of 16 women led by Karen and Wendy, we had great conversations on our busy stall. We gave out lots of flyers and leaflets and signed people up for the TOGETHER demonstration on 28th March.
There were powerful speeches from a range of activists and trade unionists. We Will leave you with two from women at the sharp end of attacks from the government and the far right:
Here’s a quick quote to give you a flavour of Victoria’s hilarious, deeply personal, and inspiring speech:
International Women’s Day cannot just be celebration. It has to be courage. Courage to stand beside women who are different from you. Courage to defend people who are being loudly misunderstood. Courage to say: your dignity does not cost me mine.
Because My existence does not erase you. But your refusal to see me can erase me. Not symbolically. Actually. From spaces. From services. From public life. And I like all of my sisters, am tired. Not of existing. But of defending our right to.
So yes. I will continue my radical agenda of:
Going to work.
Texting my bestie
Paying my bills.
And daring, DARING, to call myself a woman.
Not because it’s provocative. Not because it’s political. But because it’s true.
And if that feels revolutionary then perhaps we’ve been living with the bar much closer to the floor than we thought.
Here’s a quick quote to give you a flavour of Nandi’s powerful, hardhitting speech which was a call to action for those wanting to push back against the far-right:
As a migrant worker from the old British Empire, I have a simple message to the British government and politicians: we are here because you were there.
Colonisation plundered our nations and forced our people overseas to build your industries and your infrastructure. First through slavery, now through indentured labour by any other name.
We staff your NHS, your care homes, your transport networks and your warehouses. And you want to keep us without rights, without security, without status.
But you cannot turn back the tide. My time in the UK has shown me that, despite your efforts to divide and rule, multiculturalism is a legacy of empire that most people welcome and celebrate.
After all, we brought all the good food and music to this wet, grey island…
Hastings and Bexhill Stand Up to Racism 