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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Holly Lennon

Year on from Kenmure Street protest and thousands set to take part in Festival of Resistance

Thousands of people are expected to gather in Pollokshields to mark the one-year anniversary of the Kenmure Street protest.

On May 13, 2021, hundreds of locals and protestors joined forces in a bid to halt an attempt by the Home Office to detain two men following a 'dawn raid' at a property on the street.

An eight-hour stand-off between protestors and police unfolded on the street before the pair - Lakhvir Singh and Sumit Sehdev- were released.

To mark one year since the event that made global news, and to protest the UK Government's hostile immigration policies, a community event has been planned by the Govanhill Baths Community Trust.

This Festival of Resistance is set to take place on May 13 and 14 with organisers launching a fundraiser to enable them to pull together the event and pay for essentials including a temporary stage, stalls, portaloos, and street closure permission.

A target of £5,000 has been set with £1,194 already donated.

Organisers have said: "It was a stunning and inspiring victory for anti-racists and campaigners fighting against dawn raids.

"One year on from that day that community will be coming together again to celebrate this historic moment.

"People from the G41 community and organisations continuing the campaign and actions against the threatened Nationality and Borders Bill.

"This Festival of Resistance will be a celebration but, sadly, needs to be much more. The UK Government continues its policies based on hostility and strategies based on racism. Diverse communities, like those found in the Southside of Glasgow, feel under threat and at risk, individually and together.

"The festival will give us a chance to bond around the legacy of the action, connect with campaigning organisations, share ideas and knowledge - and good food, music and dance.

"On May 13 and 14 we are expecting thousands of people to visit Kenmure street G41. The street will be closed, banners will hang from windows, Glasgow bands and musicians will be playing for free from a temporary stage in a local park, children will be painting a mural, international guests will be speaking about similar actions against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) during the Trump regime, food smells will fill the air, and the street will be disappearing under layers of coloured chalk drawings... "

We previously told how the Kenmure Street protest made it onto a list of the top 10 protests across the globe 'you may have missed that made a difference in 2021' by News app Upday.

To donate to the Festival of Resistance fundraiser, visit here.

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