Cheshire East Green Party strongly opposes fascism, especially on Armistice Day, a day meant for remembrance and respect. Last year, we witnessed troubling events in Central London when a large group of football fans and far-right activists gathered, claiming they were there to “protect” the Cenotaph from a pro-Palestine protest. Unfortunately, this situation quickly escalated into violence, resulting in over 100 arrests as the Metropolitan Police labelled these groups as “intent on confrontation.” In the days leading up to Armistice Day, the organisation www.hopenothate.org.uk alerted the police about alarming messages circulating in hooligan WhatsApp groups, including at least three deepfake videos on TikTok that falsely depicted Mayor Sadiq Khan. These videos suggested that he was downplaying the significance of Armistice Day and promoting pro-Palestine demonstrations instead. One particularly outrageous video claimed that Remembrance Sunday should be postponed for a massive pro-Palestine rally. These misleading videos were shared widely among far-right channels, especially within a key football hooligan WhatsApp group that played a significant role in rallying supporters for the protest at the Cenotaph. Disturbingly, some individuals reacted to these deepfake videos with violent threats against Sadiq Khan and called for harm against all Muslims, with some of these same people having shared terrorist content just days earlier.
As Cheshire East Greens, we fully support our Muslim citizens, those looking for safety in the UK, and all communities that have faced attacks or threats due to racist violence. We applaud the efforts of those in the affected areas who have come together peacefully to stand against this hatred. Additionally, we back the community leaders and individuals who are striving to unite people and counteract the efforts that aim to create divisions among us.