The ‘Pink Ladies’ collaborated with right-wing political organisations such as Reform UK to stage a protest against mass immigration in Westminster.
The organisation, which describes itself as consisting of local mothers, sisters, and grandmothers, held the ‘Pink Protest’ from 10am to 2pm in Westminster on Wednesday to demonstrate against the perceived threat of ‘illegal immigration’ to the safety of women.
However, key figures and speakers involved in the protest are tied to right-wing political organisations, including Reform UK and Restore Britain.
Organiser of the protest and leading ‘Pink Lady’ Orla Minihane is also the vice-chairman of Reform UK’s Epping Forest branch.
Minihane told the crowd: “This is a mass gathering of right-minded woman who have had enough.
“We’ve had enough of being scared.”
Expanding on her anti-migrant stance, Minihane said: “We don’t want them here because we don’t know who they are.
“Why have we turned into the dustbin of Europe?”
Fellow speaker Susan Hall also emphasised the local origins of the protesters, despite being leader of the Conservative party in the London Assembly.
Hall said: “We are not far-right.
“We are not racist.
“We are just very concerned mothers and grandmothers.”
Hall is also on the advisory board of Restore Britain, an organisation which partnered with the ‘Pink Ladies’ to organise the demonstration.
Restore Britain was set up by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe – who was expelled from the party earlier this year following allegations of bullying – and aims to ‘slash immigration’ and ‘restore Christian principles’ through a cross-party movement.
Lowe posted about the ‘Pink Protest’ on X, saying: “Huge respect for the women who have been out in all weather protesting against migrant hotels/HMOs.
“Restore Britain has partnered with the Pink Ladies to hopefully boost their efforts, and back them up as best we can.”
Around 200 protestors attended the demonstration, which interspersed speeches with periods of dancing to songs including ‘Survivor’ by Destiny’s Child and ‘We Are the Champions’ by Queen.
At one point, a lorry carrying a large Union Jack flag emblazoned with the words ‘The Epping Patriots’ parked alongside the protest by Downing Street.
The ‘Epping Patriots’ refers to a group of far-right individuals who participated in anti-migrant protests outside the Bell Hotel, which began in July this year after an asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
‘Epping Patriot’ and former Homeland party member – which charity Hope Not Hate described as the ‘biggest fascist, neo-Nazi party in the UK’ – Callum Barker also attended the ‘Pink Protest’ and could be seen taking pictures with the organisers.
A counter-protest organised by ‘Women against the Far Right’ – an offshoot of campaign group Stand Up to Racism – took place simultaneously across the road from the ‘Pink Protest’, after police moved them under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.
It was joined by around 200 people who used chants such as ‘refugees are welcome here’, and attracted well-known speakers including MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington Diane Abbott.
Stand Up to Racism’s national organiser, Samira Ali, said: “The far-right are trying to use the issue of women’s safety as a weapon to spread racist hate and fear.
“Our campaign wants to cut across the narrative that refugees or migration are linked to violence against women – these are racist, misleading lies perpetuated by people like [Nigel] Farage.
“To anyone that may look at the ‘Pink Ladies’ and think it is just about concerned mums, we have to recognise that they are dangerous and well connected to the far-right.”
The counter-protest ended earlier than the ‘Pink Protest’ at around 11.45am.
Dr Vanessa Crawford, a 61-year-old medical doctor, who participated in the counter-protest, said: “The ‘Pink Ladies’ are fuelled by fascist global politics, leading to everyday racism and horrific attacks on black and brown people of all ages.
“Given the greatest threat to women and children in the UK are white cis heterosexual males, some of whom were harassing us today, their campaign is dangerously misguided.”
Featured image credit: Asha Birdi.
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