I respect the fact that David Renton has researched and written on the far right (Lessons from an asylum hotel counter-protest: calling our opponents ‘fascist’ doesn’t work, 29 August). However, I cannot agree with his argument that we should focus on the violence that a significant number of men involved in the protests, and riots following Southport last year have shown to women.
I think this would be like a red rag to a bull to the many protesters not involved in crimes of domestic violence. They would simply call it out as a lefty slur against all men protesting against immigration. This is, therefore, no more of a nuanced argument than calling people Nazis and fascists. Calling men out as wife-beaters simply won’t cut it.
Having said that, I believe Renton is also wrong on Tommy Robinson. He may not reference Hitler’s Mein Kampf, but deliberately targets single Muslim men, a fact Renton acknowledges. Robinson is an Islamophobe. If we can’t get that blatant fact out there as our argument, then I’m afraid we are, as they say, screwed.
Desmond Hewitt
Marlborough, Wiltshire
• The charge of fascist has been used far too loosely in response to official behaviour for decades, and, unless people have studied modern history, there’s a good chance that it means nothing to them. But “racist” is clear, unambiguous, and justified. There’s too much talk of “legitimate concerns”, enabling racists to claim that they are acting for their communities. Racism must be called out and confronted, or otherwise it will become the dominant, respectable route to government in our democracy.
Rod Penny
Poole, Dorset
• I admire David Renton’s optimism about how to combat those protesting outside hotels, but, as shown with Brexit, Trump (twice) and many public policies, you can’t fight feelings with facts.
Richard Wetherell
London
• Surely one way to disarm the “jelly-bellied flag-flappers” (Rudyard Kipling) would be for counter-demonstrators to put aside all distaste and themselves turn up en masse bearing St George’s flags.
Paul Roper
Bridport, Dorset
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