On March 28th, Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has boasted that his party will hold its largest rally yet at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham. In response, anti-racist campaigners, community groups, and trade unions from across the West Midlands have come together to resist this attempt to spread hate and division.

Reform UK’s populist messaging scapegoats migrants, refugees, Muslims, and minority communities for economic hardship, diverting attention from corporate greed and systemic inequalities. Birmingham United Against Racism warns that this rhetoric is not just harmful – it poses an existential threat to social cohesion and democracy.

“Reform UK presents itself as a party for the people, but in reality, it is a political tool for the rich and powerful, using fear and scapegoating to deflect from the real causes of economic hardship,” said Bob Moloney from Stand Up To Racism, an organiser with Birmingham United Against Racism. “History teaches us that whenever far-right movements gain momentum, it is working-class communities, migrants, and the most vulnerable who suffer the most. We stand together to reject their dangerous agenda and defend the rights of all.”

Birmingham has a proud history of standing up to racism and fascism. From the anti-racist struggles of the 1970s and 1980s to today’s campaigns for justice and equality, the city has remained a beacon of diversity, solidarity, and resistance.

“We are sending a clear message: Birmingham will not be a platform for racism and division,” said Jagwant Johal, convenor of the Birmingham Race Impact Group. “This city has a proud legacy of resisting racism and fascism—from confronting the National Front in the 1970s to standing against injustice today. Birmingham is, and will remain, an anti-racist city built on unity, solidarity, and justice.”

The Protest & Unity Rally assembles at the Utilita Arena entrance at 6pm, for a march to Centenary Square and rally. Community leaders, trade unions, anti-racist campaigners, students and concerned citizens are urged to attend the upcoming Unity Rally in a powerful gathering of voices against division and hate.

The rally will feature speeches from activists, cultural performances and a celebration of Birmingham’s vibrant diversity. The Unity Rally programme showcases a dynamic line-up of local talent, including one of Birmingham’s leading reggae bands, Friendly Fire Band, whose track It’s a Brum Ting was selected by the BBC as the theme for their Commonwealth Games coverage.

Joining them on stage will be internationally-acclaimed tabla virtuoso Dalbir Rattan Singh, performing alongside the politically-charged Banner Theatre, Britain’s foremost workers’ theatre company, outspoken dub poet Moqapi Selassie plus the energetic and colourful Dhole players and bhangra dancers from Gabhru Panjab De.

“We cannot sit back when racists march into Birmingham,” declared Myki Tuff of Friendly Fire Band. “Reggae is built on the principles of peace, love, and unity. When groups like Reform UK seek to divide us, we must respond by coming together—standing as one in the fight for justice and equality.”

“We must come together, not just in protest, but to uphold the values of equality, justice and solidarity,” said Mukhtar Dar from Kings Heath United Against Racism. “This is not just about rejecting hate. It is about defending the society we want to build. A society where no-one is vilified for their race, religion, or background, where diversity is celebrated, and where communities stand strong against division.