Shrewsbury politicians in plea ahead of latest protest march

Politicians have issued a joint letter ahead of the latest protest march in Shrewsbury this weekend.

The statement has been issued by the town’s Labour MP Julia Buckley, Shropshire Council leader Heather Kidd and the leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, Councillor Rob Wilson.

It comes before Sunday’s (September 27) planned ‘Unite the Right’ protest by the Shrewsbury Raise the Flags group, the fourth held by the group in recent months.

Previous events have been met with counter protests organised by Stand up to Racism Shropshire and Telford.

The marches have started from the Quarry and seen town centre roads closed while participants proceed through the town.

The politicians’ statement spoke of concern at groups who want to create and amplify division and say their message is that “whatever our differences, we are stronger when we treat one another with dignity and respect”.

They have called for protests to be carried out “peacefully”, “lawfully”, and with”‘consideration for others” and say it is important people in the town “feel safe, welcome and able to go about their daily lives without fear or intimidation”.

The statement said: “Shrewsbury has always been a town that values community, respect and neighbourliness. As further demonstrations are planned in the coming days, we want to send a simple message: whatever our differences, we are stronger when we treat one another with dignity and respect.

“The right to peaceful protest is an important part of our democracy. Equally important is ensuring that everyone who lives, works, studies or visits our town feels safe, welcome and able to go about their daily lives without fear or intimidation.

“We recognise that people hold a range of sincerely held views on the issues being discussed. Reasonable people can and do disagree. However, we ask that any expression of those views is carried out peacefully, lawfully and with consideration for others.”

The statement called for mutual respect and “constructive dialogue”.

It said: “Shrewsbury's greatest strength has always been its sense of community. We are proud to be a town that brings people together across different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. At times when opinions are strongly held, it is more important than ever that we listen to one another with respect and avoid actions or language that deepen divisions.

“While peaceful protest is a legitimate and important part of democratic life, we are concerned whenever local issues become a platform for individuals or groups whose primary interest is not the wellbeing of our community but the creation and amplification of division. Experience shows that social media attention and public confrontation can sometimes become ends in themselves.

“We therefore encourage residents to focus on constructive dialogue and to deny those who thrive on discord the attention they seek. Shrewsbury's future will be strengthened not by louder arguments, but by mutual respect and a shared commitment to our town.

“We would encourage everyone taking part in any events, and those observing them, to focus on what unites us as a community rather than what separates us. The overwhelming majority of residents want a town that is welcoming, inclusive and respectful, where differences can be expressed through constructive dialogue and democratic engagement.

“We would like to thank local residents, businesses and community organisations for their continuing commitment to keeping Shrewsbury a safe and welcoming place for all. In particular we would like to praise our police officers for the extra work these events place on them and their calm, respectful approach.

“Let us show once again that Shrewsbury's character is defined not by division, but by mutual respect, tolerance and a shared commitment to our town and to one another.”