Fascism is here, Be very alarmed.

On how fascism starts, Bertrand Russell warned thus: “First, they fascinate the fools. Then they muzzle the intelligent.”

That is the path of fascism, and we are watching the first steps unfold again. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump rose by turning fear into fuel, waving flags not as symbols of unity but as weapons of division. In the UK today, the echoes are unmistakable. Flags suddenly fill our streets. Politicians compete to see who can sound harsher on immigration. Hate is dressed up as patriotism. This is not harmless theatre; it is the rehearsal of authoritarian power.

Minorities in Britain cannot afford to stand back and hope it will pass. We know too well how these stories end, and silence is never protection. The question is not whether Britain can produce a Trump of its own. The question is: will we let one walk into Number 10?

The answer must be no. And that no must be loud, organised, and relentless. We cannot fight alone, but neither should we underestimate the power we hold. When minority groups link arms with allies; students, trade unions, faith communities, progressives, and even moderates disillusioned with extremism, we form a coalition that no demagogue can easily ignore. This fight is not immigrant against native, Black against White. It is democracy against tyranny.

We must seize back the narrative. The far right survives by peddling lies that minorities are drains on the system, that migrants steal jobs, that diversity is a threat. These lies collapse when confronted with truth. It was minority doctors, nurses, and carers who held up the NHS during the pandemic. It is immigrant entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creating jobs, paying taxes. It is our artists, athletes, and thinkers who enrich Britain’s global reputation. We are not outsiders to Britain’s story—we are authors of it. To stay silent is to let the liars write history. To speak out is to claim what is ours.

We must also organise politically with the same energy extremists use to spread hate. Register to vote. Mobilise your community. Turn out on election day. In many constituencies, minority turnout could decide the result. Do not let apathy hand victory to those who despise us. And more than voting; run for office. Sit in councils. Stand for Parliament. Step into the places where decisions are made. Every seat we occupy is one less the far right can use to push us out.

Education is another battlefield. Fascism feeds on ignorance. It captures the easily deceived and turns them into weapons. We must defend schools, demand truth in classrooms, and build community programs that sharpen critical thinking. A society that can question lies is a society that cannot be easily controlled.

And when hate marches on our streets, we cannot look away. When flags are flown to exclude us, when slogans are chanted to erase us, we must be there. Peaceful, visible, and unyielding. Vigils, marches, festivals, campaigns, whatever it takes to break the illusion that Britain is united behind division. Presence matters. Resistance matters. Silence is consent, and we will not consent.

This is bigger than minority survival. If Britain falls to authoritarian populism, it will not stop at us. Once in power, fascism devours freedoms for everyone. That is why this fight is not only ours, it belongs to all who care about democracy and liberty. But minorities and their allies know what is at stake, and we can lead. By uniting across our differences, by speaking truth against lies, by organising our votes, by standing visibly and fearlessly, we can slam the door on fascism before it reaches Number 10.
Russell’s warning does not have to be our future. But it will be, unless we act now.

Dr. EK Gwuru writes from Nkolo Ikembe.