By RichardYoule | Posted: March 18, 2016
Rocio Cifuentes said tolerant members of society should put themselves in the position of those who might be attracted to the planned White Pride march in the city on March 26.
"It is probably a bit controversial, but we need to think about why they feel that way," said Ms Cifuentes, director of the Ethnic Youth Support Team, St Helen's Road.
She said such people were mostly unemployed and living in poor housing with few opportunities.
"I feel they need and deserve our help," she said. "I feel they are victims of our incredibly unequal society. And they are drawn to something that feels like a brotherhood."
Ms Cifuentes, who came to Swansea as a young girl when her family fled the former dictatorship in Chile, said there were parallels with the disaffected far right and Muslim extremists.
"When all hope is lost this is when particularly young men are drawn to extremism on all sides of the political spectrum," she said.
Referring to the White Pride march, she added that you could never fight fire with fire.
"You can never shout anybody into submission — if you do, the victory is only temporary," she said. "We have to support the vulnerable in society, whatever their political views.
"There is this 'hug a Muslim' on social media — maybe we should 'hug a racist'."
Ms Cifuentes was speaking at an event at Volcano Theatre, High Street, to raise the profile of a series of peaceful gatherings to celebrate diversity and counter the Easter Saturday march. The activities will culminate in a festival in Castle Square on March 26.
Unison steward Martin Chapman, who chaired last night's meeting, said he wanted to stop the far right marchers coming anywhere near the centre of Swansea.
He said: "We must make sure that Swansea is known as a place which fights and challenges racism."
Mr Chapman told the Post he felt it was important to drive a wedge between the hardcore of far right enthusiasts who organised and took part in White Pride events and disillusioned members of the public who might be drawn to them.
He said the latter group needed support for better jobs and a better life.
"However, the hardcore needs to be confronted and stopped in their tracks," he said. "They should not be allowed to present themselves as a legitimate way of expressing dissatisfaction with the world."
Another speaker, Shehla Khan, said she had always found Swansea a wonderful city, but that she had noticed a change after a spell away. She said she and other Muslims sometimes felt they were looked at or talked about strangely, which she put down to the UK's Prevent strategy to counter terrorism.
Andrew Davies, of the LGBT+ group, spoke passionately about the case of volunteer office manager Favour Onuzulike, who is due to be deported to Nigeria with hundreds of fellow Nigerians. Mr Onuzulike's supporters said he is a wanted man back home and faces punishment because of sexuality.
This evening, meanwhile, there is a screening of Little White Lies and a Q&A session with actress Helen Griffiths at 7.30pm at Cinema & Co. City centre nightclub Sin City will host a Love Music Hate Racism benefit gig on Saturday night. There will then be a live music acoustic night at Gravity Station on March 24.
The festival in Castle Square will start at midday on Easter Saturday.
Among the audience last night was Claudia Farese, who hails from Italy but settled in Swansea six years ago. She said she found the prospect of the White Pride march "really upsetting".
She said: "I have always found Swansea to be a very diverse and welcoming city."
Kevin Carey, of Mumbles, said the problems faced by migrants, such as war, poverty and climate change, were also "our problems".
"I hope that if I had to flee my home, somebody would help me," he said.
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