"we have an opportunity to come together in Birmingham"
Over 70 organisations are coming together on October 4, 2026, in Birmingham for a march against racism and far-right division.
Organised by Stand Up To Racism Birmingham and TUC Midlands, the event will bring together trade unions, community organisations, campaign groups, students, faith organisations, climate activists, Palestine solidarity groups and LGBTQ+ organisations.
The event will take place at Victoria Square from 1 pm, with organisers calling on people across the region to join the march and rally.
The organisers say the rally will also send a message against racism, Islamophobia and far-right division.
It coincides with the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street, which took place in London. The confrontation saw opponents of Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists mobilise against a planned fascist march through the East End.
According to organisers, the anniversary provides a historical backdrop for the Birmingham march and its focus on opposing racism and political division.
The event comes after the organisers raised concerns about far-right activity in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
They have highlighted the activities of Raise the Colours, which has used St George’s Cross and Union Jack flags during anti-immigration demonstrations.
Birmingham City Council has also become involved in the dispute, with the council seeking a High Court injunction relating to the group’s activities.
Reform UK also became the largest single group on Birmingham City Council following the May 2026 local elections.
Dani Jackson, Midlands PCS Regional Secretary, said: “As trade unionists, we know the power of solidarity.
“On 4 October, we have an opportunity to come together in Birmingham and make it clear that division will not win.
“Our workplaces and our communities are stronger because of the diversity of the people within them.
“We stand together, we stand against racism, and we stand for a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
The rally will feature speeches, live music, performances and spoken word, with speakers including National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede.
Other speakers include Salma Yaqoob of Stop the War Coalition, TUC Midlands Regional Secretary Stuart Richards, Women Against the Far Right organiser Gina Hardy and journalist Femi Oluwole.
Performers will include Richie Culture & The Visionaries, Myki Tuff, Skint, Dalbir & Friends, Elle-J Walters, The Cadenzas and Banner Theatre.
Ustad Jaan Ali Khan, Kadence Music Drummers, Dub Dar and DJ Deesh will also perform.
Mukhtar Dar, of Unite The People, said: “Birmingham’s rich cultural diversity gave birth to Steel Pulse and UB40, carrying the city’s voice onto the world stage.
“From this powerful legacy, Unite The People, the cultural wing of SUTR, harnesses culture as a creative weapon against racism and fascism, challenging the hate and division that threaten our communities.
“No force of hatred can silence the music of our solidarity.”
The organisers say the mobilisation comes amid concerns about racist intimidation, far-right organising and attacks against migrants and asylum seekers.
Women Against the Far Right will also participate, with the group focusing on what it describes as attempts to use concerns about violence against women to promote anti-migrant views.
Gina Hardy, Women Against the Far Right national steering committee organiser, said:
“We’re marching together because women’s liberation has always been about collective resistance.
“The far right doesn’t speak for us, and we won’t allow them to use women’s safety to spread racism and division.
“Our bloc is a collective feminist voice of defiance. Women standing together, fighting back and refusing to be divided.”
Birmingham-based teacher and anti-racism campaigner Salma Latif said:
“I’ll be joining my fellow Brummies once again to show that our diversity is our unity, our community and our strength.”
“But I do so with a heavy heart. How many more times must I, as a visibly Muslim Brummie who was born and raised here, join demonstrations to ‘prove’ that I belong in my own home?
“We need more than words of sympathy from the government. We need real action. Until then, we will continue to stand together and celebrate our diversity loudly and proudly.”
The event will also include a Palestine bloc and a climate bloc, reflecting the range of campaigning organisations supporting the mobilisation.
Naeem Malik, Chair of West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign, will lead the Palestine bloc:
“Palestine belongs in the Unity March because the fight against racism and the fight for Palestinian freedom are connected.
“We stand against racism and oppression wherever it exists, and in solidarity with Palestinians facing apartheid, occupation and dispossession.”
The organisers say the event will bring together groups with different political, community and campaigning backgrounds.
The central message of the march and rally is to oppose racism and far-right division, alongside support for equality, solidarity and respect.
The Unity March and Rally will take place at Victoria Square, Birmingham, on October 4 from 1 pm to 6 pm.
