On November 4th, 2025, Cardiff University Feminist Society, in collaboration with  South Wales Women Against the Far Right, ran an event. An event that had over 70 attendees from different backgrounds, four passionate speak ers from different realms of activism  and one shared goal: to fight the far right.  

The event spoke about how in recent years Reform UK, whilst claiming to be the party of the British people, have created a party that fuels division, normalises prejudice, and erodes trust in democratic institutions. In the current social and  political landscape it is more important than ever that public discourse reflects empathy and evidence, not fear and falsehoods. 

South Wales Women Against the Far Right said that the aim of the recent event at Cardiff University was to have a “discussion surrounding how to tackle misinformation and ways to combat Reform UK in our communities” and share with CU Feminist Society how to stay safe around campus. The event was put on by Iona Hamilton, President of Feminist Society, at Cardiff University and Suwaba Hussein, from South Wales Women Against the Far Right. The pair shared the sentiment that “we must show love where the  far right look to hate, and we must show unity where the far right show division”.  

First speaker at the event was Deity Evans, a trans rights activist who helped to organise the largest Welsh protest for trans rights with over 3,000 people in attendance.  She shared that “one identity cannot be more important than others” and the creation of “trans exclusion” is becoming more prominent with the rise from the far right. Statistics show that in Wales half of trans people have experienced a hate crime due did not report. This hate is only spiralling with the rise of the far  right, with those higher up “pulling  the strings in the situation to build transphobic rhetorics as a weapon of  division”.  

“The ideas from the  far right that white  women and girls need  protecting is rooted in  the idea that women  are less than in some  way that is then used  to rationalise racism, islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia  and anti-asylum rhetoric”. 

Deity shared that she believes these issues cannot be seen as sepa rate; they must be fought together to  fight against far-right ideology. Kavi Susee, anti-racism officer at  Cardiff Students’ Union attended the  event as a member of a panel who  shared her views on what students can do to fight far-right ideology. In her role at Cardiff Students’ Union,  she fights for the idea that it “has never been enough just to not be racist, but that we must be actively anti racist”. She uses her platform to fight against those who “continue to be silent” which she argues mirrors the far right. Those in charge reap financial rewards whilst they twist narratives to blame immigrants instead of those in power who can actually make change. This attitude is rooted in the far right’s (informal) manifesto, and Kavi encourages students to be loud and never scared to speak out and get  involved in activism. 

Co-host of the event Suwaba Hus sein, shared how we as students can  fight against the overwhelming rise  of Reform in all our communities,  especially with a recent “shocking esculation of violence”. With recent protests from Tommy Robinson, we can see how Reform  is growing at unprecedented speeds. The far right claim to be looking out  for women and girls, but Suwaba  said “they only mean when the victim is white and the perpetrator is black or brown”. Kate argued that the far right are using women to change narratives “as a weapon for racism”.  This deeply racist rhetoric of asylum seekers being violent demonstrates  the true undertones of Reform UK.  Suwaba shared the statistic that in the  UK one woman is killed every week,  but this is by someone they know, often an intimate partner. Further, asylum seekers get as little as £9.95  per week, costing the UK less per  year than tax evasion, according to recent statistics.  

Finally, to end the event panel,  Pierce shared to those in attendance that “I, for one, do not need to be protected, and I definitely do not need to be protected by the far right.”  She argues the far right feeds on  isolation: “They tell people ‘No one cares, nothing can change, so blame  the powerless.’ But we know better.”  Among the rest of the panel, Pierce  stands for compassion and solidarity  where we as a community need to make sure Wales uses “classrooms, workplaces, and all of our voices to  spread a different message: one of  courage, compassion, and connection. Not one of hate”. The panel made sure the event was a reminder to everyone who attended to say “not in my community”.