‘Who Let Them In?’: Stand Up to Racism Birmingham Demands Answers Over Britain First Rally.

Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) Birmingham has written a sharply worded letters to Birmingham City Council leader, Cllr. John Cotton and to West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster, demanding urgent answers over the decision to allow far-right group Britain First to hold a rally in Victoria Square, Birmingham’s central civic space, on Saturday, May 17.

The letters sent by campaigner Bob Moloney, questions multiple aspects of the rally’s planning and policing — including the choice of location, the police’s apparent facilitation of the event, and what SUTR alleges was racially biased policing on the day.

“Racist Hate in the Civic Heart of Our City”

Britain First, a group widely recognised as far-right and Islamophobic, held the rally in Victoria Square, where their leader Paul Golding — a convicted race hate offender — gave speeches calling for “remigration,” a euphemism for the forced deportation of migrants.

SUTR condemned the decision to allow the group access to a central location equipped with a large screen and sound system, and said that the group’s broadcast of “racist, Islamophobic hate” should not have been tolerated in a public space. Birmingham City Council prior to the event agreed not to allow use of any Council resources for facilitation of the rally, under their 'No Platform Policy’ as reported in the May BRIG Newsletter.  Despite this, Britain First gained access.

“Why were Britain First allowed to broadcast racist hate speech in a public square? Why did the police not intervene and stop the rally?” Moloney asked in the letter.

SUTR also raised concerns about the route of the march — through New Street, one of Birmingham’s busiest pedestrian corridors — which they described as an unnecessarily provocative choice.

“There are many alternative sites and routes,” the letter stated. “This was a provocative march by a white supremacist group with a history of storming into mosques and intimidating worshippers.”

Perhaps most damning were allegations that officers treated people differently based on their appearance. According to the letter, people with Black or Brown skin were forcibly moved away from the rally area, even when simply observing, while white attendees were not similarly targeted.

“The excuse of protecting freedom of speech… is not a sustainable position,” the letter said. “Anyone with an ounce of moral sensibility would not accept it.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr. Cotton Responds:

Cllr. John Cotton took to social media on the day of the rally to state that there had been a serious breach of security in Britain First gaining vehicular access with their staging and screen.  In the same post he confirmed that an investigation had been launched.

In his response on 22nd May, the Leader said “We utterly condemn the vile rhetoric of Britain First. They are not welcome in Birmingham. We are a City of Sanctuary and will remain so.” He went on to say, “Birmingham has a proud history as a City of Sanctuary, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being a welcoming, inclusive and anti-racist city. The Council will continue to challenge hate wherever it arises and to stand up for the values that bind our communities together.” 

SUTR Birmingham welcome your announcement of an investigation into the access of Britain First vehicles onto Victoria Square against the Council's policies.

BRIG have asked the Council how long this investigation will take and will report its findings as soon as they are known. 

Commissioner Simon Foster Responds

Simon Foster responded on 11th June, confirming receipt of SUTR’s concerns and offering the group a meeting. In his letter, Foster said that many of the decisions referenced — such as march routing and authorisation — fall under the operational remit of West Midlands Police, not the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

“It would be necessary for me to seek a response from West Midlands Police in connection with the matters you have raised before being able to provide you with a substantive reply,” Foster wrote.

He also acknowledged the delay in receiving the original email and committed to a follow-up:

“We will write to you again concerning your request for a written reply to the matters you have raised and the proposed meeting, as soon as possible.”

Importantly, Foster confirmed he is “more than happy” to meet with Stand Up To Racism Birmingham, alongside West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council, and other relevant parties to discuss the incident and concerns moving forward.

While campaigners await a fuller response, the debate over who gets to use Birmingham’s public spaces—and for what purpose—remains far from resolved.

As SUTR continues its call for accountability, one message is clear: anti-racist voices in Birmingham will not remain silent in the face of intimidation. To this end SUTR Birmingham will be meeting together with both the Leader and Commissioner to ensure that there is a clear plan going forward to stop the hate far-right hate groups bring to the City in seeking to divide our communities.

SUTR will continue our work as a broad coalition of many groups in the city to counter racism in whatever form and to celebrate Birmingham as a vibrant, multicultural city.

“Let history show, for all to hear—
The people stood. And Brummies were here.”