Members of the SoR are celebrating the success of the Together Alliance event, which saw allied health professions unions and professional organisations march across London.
The event sought to tackle the rise in discrimination such as racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia across the country, with attendees marching from Park Lane, to Piccadilly and towards Green Park Tube Station before turning onto Regent Street and then onto Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, and Whitehall.
In protest against the worrying rise in aggressive behaviours towards many of the most vulnerable in society, the march aimed to raise awareness of how hostile environments impact people across their communities and in their workplaces, and make society feel less safe for everyone.
A sense of belonging
(Image: Together Alliance march, by James Barber)
Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, said: “Flags, witty placards, vocal chants, brass and samba melodies filled the air at the Together Alliance march in London. The air was filled with determination, positivity and a huge sense of community. I was filled with a sense of belonging and enormous pride that so many had travelled to show their strength of feeling against racism, bigotry, misogyny, and exclusion.”
“The size of the demonstration was overwhelming, but needed. Needed to show that there are many willing to step up and show that we are a nation that respects and embraces the wonderful diversity that we have and must protect.
“My favourite slogan of the day was difficult to choose. There are a lot of witty people out there, and some not for publishing! I think simple is often effective: ‘Love not hate’, but ‘bigger trees not bigotries’ is a close second.”
Hannah Austen, the SoR’s LGBTQI+ Equalise Network deputy chair, explained it was vital to join the march to demonstrate unity against far-right ideologies that threaten equality, especially for women, LGBTQIA+ people and migrants.
She added: “Being part of a diverse crowd of like-minded individuals mattered deeply and has inspired me moving forward. I was proud to represent both the SoR and my City St George’s, University of London union, UCU, demonstrating to students what it means to stand up for our shared values in healthcare.
“Slogans that stood out to me were ‘migrants welcome’, with Paddington Bear, considering our health service is proudly multicultural.”
'The start of many more proactive actions'
(Image: Together Alliance march, by James Barber)
James Barber, the SoR’s LGBTQI+ Equalise Network chair, emphasised that he could not in good conscience avoid joining the march, which aimed to highlight the inequalities and questionable narratives driving hateful agendas.
He pointed to both domestic and international trends towards views that threaten to undo the positive equality achieved over the last few decades for all protected characteristic groups.
“These are genuinely troubling times for many groups, with increasing fear of discriminatory acts in day-to-day life becoming commonplace,” he said. “I was proud to see the Society of Radiographers taking a proactive stance in joining this march, and it was reassuring to join our president there and see how strongly she felt on these topics.
“I hope this is the start of many more proactive actions from the organisation to come to ensure that our ethos of equality, diversity, inclusivity and belonging is truly at the forefront of our actions.
“There were many excellent signs and slogans, some of them unfortunately unpublishable here, but some memorable ones were ‘We are here because you were there’, and ‘migrants make our NHS’.”
(Image: Together Alliance march, by James Barber)