Photo by Aili Winstanley Channer
‘We’re giving a strong message that God is love, that Christians stand with refugees, that we can reach out to each other and resist the message of hate that we’ve heard from some political quarters.’
Several thousand Christians joined an estimated half a million people to march through London on 28 March to bear witness to a message of welcome and solidarity, against racism and far-right weaponisation of Christian identity.
The Together Alliance march, which aimed to show “love, hope and unity” in response to Tommy Robinson’s nationalist “unite the kingdom” march in September, is believed to have been one of the biggest multicultural demonstrations in British history.
Representatives from more than 20 Christian organisations joined the Christian bloc, including the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) UK, Pax Christi, Cafod, the London Catholic Worker, Better Story, Christians for a Welcoming Britain, and Christian Climate Action.
They marched alongside other faith-based groups, including many Muslim, Jewish and multifaith groups. Banners and placards displayed Bible verses along with messages such as “Jesus would be on this march”, “Christians stand with Muslims and Jews”, “Love knows no borders” and “This Christian loves his Muslim neighbours”.
Sophie Cartwright, research associate specialising in immigration detention and the asylum system at the Centre for Criminology at the University of Oxford and senior policy officer at JRS UK, told The Tablet, “It fills me with so much hope to be here with so many people, standing up in solidarity with refugees.
“As part of the Christian bloc, we’re giving a really strong message that God is love, that Christians stand with refugees, that we can reach out to each other and resist the message of hate that we’ve heard from some political quarters. We’re standing up for a Christian vision of a just and welcoming society.”
She said she wished more people had the chance to make friends with refugees and “really understand” the “journeys and realities” they have to face: “These are people seeking safety. They only want somewhere safe to rebuild their lives, and that’s what any of us would want if we were forced to flee our homes.”
In the JRS group, one of the demonstrators, who has lived experience of forced migration from Eritrea, told The Tablet that it was his first-ever demonstration and that he had never previously imagined he would join one, because in his home country “if there’s a protest, usually someone gets killed”. “It’s good to have democracy,” he said.
Liam Allmark, head of communications at JRS UK, also said the march was “inspiring”: “Amazing to see so many people from different faith groups, community groups and walks of life turning out to give hope at a time when it’s so easy to feel hopeless.”
He told The Tablet: “Just like any of us, if we were forced to flee our homes, refugees seek sanctuary. A small number seek sanctuary in this country and we have a duty to welcome them, to accompany them, and to celebrate the amazing contribution that people from all over the world make to this county.
“We need to encounter and understand those who are coming here to rebuild their lives. The more people encounter, the more they seek to understand the experiences of one another, the more we’re going to be able to push back against cynical hatred and division.
“It’s also very important that we stand up against racism and intolerance and stand up for a tradition of hospitality and welcome in this country.”
Melanie Nazareth from Christian Climate Action also told The Tablet that she found the “energy” of the march “amazing”: “I think it’s really important that we have a faith presence at these marches, because this is our message: to love our neighbour, to love our enemy, to welcome the stranger. That’s what this was about.
“It brought together lots of diverse groups, some that we wouldn’t normally march with, because it’s quite difficult – you have to bridge gaps. It’s important we do that and that we learn to manage other people who are angry with us.”
In reference to the witness against fossil fuels at the march, Nazareth said, “The Earth is God’s: it’s not ours. We are displaying incredible hubris by damaging it with fossil fuels. We are entrusted to this gift, and we are abusing it. If we love God, how could we abuse His creation?”
She continued: “As Catholics, we can be afraid to use our voice, because we were disenfranchised for so long. But we now need to engage with the political discourse of our nation and bring Catholic social teaching to the heart of it.
“The problem with far-right parties is that they spread division and hate, and rely on a message that’s very divisive. That’s not what we stand for as Christians. Jesus welcomes everyone.
“And he doesn’t stand for domination. People say ‘Christ is King and the West must rule’ as though it’s one thing, but it’s not. Christ came to deliver the Gospel to the oppressed.”
The London Catholic Worker and Christian Climate Action will pray the stations of the cross outside “sites of violence” including oil and gas companies and arms manufacturers in central London on Holy Saturday.