The two simultaneous events that unfolded in Newcastle city centre on September 27, 2025, offered a stark, quantifiable measure of local political will. The anti-racist counter-demonstration, galvanized by the North East Anti-Racism Coalition and groups like Newcastle Unites, converged in magnificent numbers (estimated at over 3,000, including 2,500 at the Monument and 400 blocking the march) to affirm the city’s identity as a place of sanctuary and solidarity. While the UKIP protest, led by Nick Tenconi and Ben Habib, gathered a pitiful band (estimated at just 150) to advance a platform of “mass deportations” and division, this numerical disparity is a reliable picture of Newcastle’s civic sentiment. The Coalition, in its pre-event statement, stressed that the actions of organizers were deliberately seeking to spread “fear, division, and racism,” positioning their own event as a “peaceful celebration of solidarity” to meet hatred with “empathy and kindness.” This contrast confirms that the city’s deep-seated tradition of unity soundly rejected the external attempts to sow discord.
The defining characteristic of the day was the overwhelming turnout for the anti-racist counter-demonstration, directly motivated by a need to reassure communities feeling “isolated or afraid.” The atmosphere was dominated by a sea of placards bearing unifying slogans such as ‘SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD,’ ‘Protect our city of Sanctuary,’ and ‘STOP THE FAR-RIGHT.’ Musicians (a woman accompanied by a guitarist and a gentleman who both sang and played guitar) added variety to the program, reinforcing the celebratory and inclusive mood. The message of inclusion was powerfully articulated, with the chant ‘Refugees are Welcome Here’ almost certainly being the loudest declaration of the day. The seriousness of the threat faced by minoritised communities was underscored when a firefighter spoke of the previous year’s riots in Middlesbrough, where a car was driven into an immigrant family’s home and set alight, detailing the professional risk taken to save the family.
The assembly, which brought together key figures from the city’s political landscape—including the North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, former mayor Jamie Driscoll, Newcastle City Council Leader Karen Kilgour, local City Councillors, and others from various political affiliations, such as the Green Party and Majority—alongside trade unionists, a variety of religious leaders (including Vicars and Imams) reflecting the city’s diverse and proud community, and grassroots activists, effectively leveraged the historical and symbolic power of Grey’s Monument. Organisations like Northern Stage Theatre and the Magic Hat Café posted that they would be safe havens for anti-racist protesters, demonstrating the breadth of community support. As the rally assembled, a highly symbolic moment occurred when thirteen individuals holding letters spelling “WE ARE ALL HUMAN” were asked to stand atop the Monument steps to be visible to the entire crowd. The subsequent proceedings featured a speaker who delivered a powerful catalogue of Newcastle’s historic fights for justice and solidarity, culminating in a loud cheer from the crowd as they pointed to the figure of Lord Grey atop the monument, (whose premiership oversaw the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act). This gesture cemented the city’s connection between its enduring 19th-century fights for social reform and the anti-racist struggle today.
In direct contrast, the demonstration organised by the far-right group UKIP and the nascent party Advance UK was largely contained to the hundreds. The anti-racist mobilisation successfully shadowed and blocked the march along its route from the Newcastle Quayside Law Courts. The visual scene at the river was captured by an eyewitness, whose post powerfully summarized the numerical contrast:
Saw off the far-right today. Very good anti-bigot turnout, several thousand. While the flag-*****ers were outnumbered even by the rowers in the dragon boats. More racers than racists, who didn’t stop the boats.
The UKIP protest was ultimately prevented from progressing to its intended target, the Newbridge hotel (a hostel for asylum seekers), where containment strategies successfully protected the vulnerable site. The limited showing and successful containment suggest a severe failure in local support. This failure was compounded by the cancellation of their planned launch event at a council-owned Crowne Plaza Hotel, followed by their eventual conference being held at a Japanese restaurant ironically owned by the same company as the asylum hostel. The strong political condemnation was consistent across the region, with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness publicly backing the unity movement. Confirming the success of the containment strategy, Northumbria Police stated that “Today’s protest activity in Newcastle city centre has now passed mainly without incident,” adding their thanks “to those who helped to keep Newcastle safe.”
We can interpret the contrast between “thousands” and “hundreds” as a reliable indicator of local sentiment is not only fair, but necessary for understanding the day’s political dynamics. The rallies today reaffirmed the city’s progressive traditions, demonstrating that when challenged, the foundational values of solidarity and community action in Newcastle can translate into an overwhelming public majority that defines the city’s political landscape. Ultimately, the events of September 27th established the numerical foundation for a public rejection of division, but the true test of unity remains in the ongoing political and community challenges that follow. Reflecting the political unity witnessed on the day, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness commented on social media: “This is patriotism. This is pride. This is unity. This is a city and a region saying loud and clear- no to racism and no to a far right agenda seeking to divide us.” This sentiment of collective determination was further confirmed by Councillor Karen Kilgour, Leader of Newcastle City Council, who declared the city is one that “will always be united.” The true local pride in the face of division was perhaps best captured by local poet Harry Gallagher:
“Ye can keep yer racist hate, well away from Gallowgate.
Ye were outnumbered and outsung, by a full ten to one.
Fer despite all yer desperate invitations to a brawl,
This toon is made of love, son, and that stuff conquers all.”
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