Southend Stand up to Racism rally sees people speak out

On Saturday, people gathered in the city’s High Street in the spirit of ‘Stand up to Racism’ as part of a national day of protest. 

Amy Ashfield, 25, was one of the young people who joined the protest on Saturday with a self-made poster saying “brat and it’s the same but fascists are ruining it so it’s not”. 

Her poster is inspired by Essex pop-singer Charli XCX, conveying a carefree and laid-back vibe, many young people have embraced. 

Protest - Amy Ashfield, 25, showed up to the protest in solidarity with her friends and people facing racism (Image: Newsquest)

Amy said: “These kind of right wing groups been around for ages, obviously coming out of the woodwork now and it's just something that we should be actually fighting against.

"It's not something that we should be passively accepting, which I think we have been. 

“It's just slowly been building and building, obviously with UKIP and Reform. It's something that people do unfortunately believe and you know, it might be misdirected anger.” 

The recent violence across the country had her more fearful for others, than for herself. 

She said: “Being white, I am very grateful for having that privilege. I do need to recognise my privilege at the end of the day. 

“I'm here now to stand up for my friends and the people of colour who are absolutely terrified, I’ve heard that first-hand.” 

Protester Fiona Clapperton, 63, has been a life-long supporter of equality and has used her voice to stand up to discrimination many times before. 

She said: “I literally can’t believe we’re still protesting this. I was a student in South Africa and I was involved in the anti-apartheid movement there and as you know, it was just bloody hell there.” 

Upset - Fiona Clapperton, 63, joined protesters once again to fight for equality (Image: Newsquest)

However, the picture of violence across the UK and in Southend had her worried. 

“I was nervous when watching the coverage and nervous about what kind of people are going to be out. 

“I didn’t go on Wednesday, because I was quite nervous. I was actually a bit ashamed of myself, really. That’s why I’ve come out today, because it has to be done. 

“People in the community need to show that we’re not going to stand for this racism and thuggery.” 

Overall, the message was clear – Southend is a welcoming place for everyone, with a strong community supporting each other. 

Fiona said: “Southend is an amazing community. People come out from all walks of life to support these things. Southend should be for everyone.  

“I’ve lived here since I moved over from South Africa and I just think it’s an amazing place and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”