Minneapolis: Reunite to stop the far right
The murder of nurse and trade unionist Alex Pretti by Donald Trump’s federal agents brings home to us all the dangers of the authoritarian far right. Internationally, in the UK and Ireland, in our communities and in our workplaces - we must reunite to stop the far right.
On January 23 over 50,000 people stood together in a city-wide general strike in Minneapolis. The strike, boycott and protest was endorsed by the Minnesota AFL-CIO (the state equivalent of the TUC with 1,000 affiliated local unions), as well as community and faith groups across the city. Solidarity action was organised across other U.S. cities.
The strike was a powerful sign of collective solidarity and defiance against the campaign of violence unleashed by Donald Trump, who has dispatched thousands of ‘ICE’ immigration officers across the state. Operating as a roving militia, ICE agents have conducted a brutal campaign of intimidation and harassment with the arrest of over 3,000 Minnesotans. This spree of violence resulted first in the shooting of Renee Good, which led to the city-wide protests, and then Alex Pretti.
Our union must show full solidarity with our sister trade unions in the US who are standing up against the heavily armed gangsterism of the Trump regime. Trade unionists joined the UK solidarity demonstration in Trafalgar Square this week and, in a personal capacity, our union's International Director Simon Dubbins posted a message of solidarity.
It is in more than rhetoric that their fight is our fight. The divisive poison of the far right – and it’s violent results – are not contained by borders or oceans. Across the Americas, across Europe and here in the UK and Ireland, far right forces are mobilising on our streets, their political parties are leading in polls, and their reactionary ideas are being drip-fed into our workplaces and communities.
Trade unionists – like Alex Pretti, like Unite members – are on the frontlines of a global battle. We have no choice. Our unions and our members are very much within their sights.
In the UK, the far right mobilised 100,000 people on the streets of London in September, Reform continue to lead in election polls and it is not coincidental that 2025 saw the highest number of hate crimes ever recorded. As Reunite repeatedly warns, our union’s response can never be appeasement.
In the UK this wave of violence is not yet actively encouraged by the government as it is in Trump’s America and there is still time to prevent it. The prospect of Reform in government is very real. Farage’s party continues to show how keen it is to ape Trump, with the party’s London candidate for Mayor copying the U.S government’s bizarre ‘ice themed’ memes posted online.
The growth of Reform as the parliamentary wing of the far right in Britain is already shaping politics around it as other parties – Conservative and Labour both – race to take harder lines on immigration and deportations.
It is our task to be the counterweight, to face down the far right, to defend each other, and to pull politics back to focusing on delivering for us. The only movement that can stop Reform and the far right in it’s tracks is the union movement with our union at it’s heart. We must reject appeasement and stand together.
Reunite in solidarity with our trade union brothers and sisters in Minneapolis and to honour the memories of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Reunite in defence of every member of our union.
Reunite to stop the far right.
