An anti-racism Southampton organisation is holding a march through Portswood High Street on Friday evening, calling for unity (14/11/25).
The event, organised by Southampton Stand Up To Racism (SSUTR) comes after several months of anti-asylum seeker rallies outside a hotel housing asylum seekers and a number of marches by ‘Southampton Patriots’.
Throughout this time, SSUTR have coordinated with local religious, community and trade union groups to hold counter-demonstrations outside the hotel, with a message of welcome and community cohesion, and also held a large Unity Demonstration to coincide with ‘Southampton Patriots’ marching through the city last month (26/10/25).
Jayanti Shah, MBE, Secretary of SSUTR said: “We’ve called this march on Friday because the far right have spent the past five months staging weekly hateful protests outside the Highfield House Hotel, which houses refugees — followed by hate marches up and down Portswood High Street, shouting ‘Whose streets? Our streets!’ in an attempt to intimidate and claim the area.
“While we stand firmly for city-wide solidarity, this diverse area of Southampton — home to many communities and businesses — has also become a weekly target, in addition to the hotel.
“Residents, businesses, and shoppers are facing disruption and hostility every Friday night. That’s why we’re assembling at the old Blockbusters site and marching up the High Street to the hotel — to say loud and clear: this community stands together.
“Migrants and refugees are welcome here. We won’t be bullied. We reject hate. We refuse intimidation. Enough is enough.’”
The Southampton Stand Up To Racism March will be from 5pm.
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