Thousands gathered from 18–20 July at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, the UK’s largest and oldest annual gathering of trade unionists and activists.

On Saturday, July 19, MENA Solidarity hosted a session in the International Tent titled “Workers Organising for Justice: Voices from Syria and Sudan“. The session was well-attended and engaged the audience effectively.

Khalid Sidahmed, from the MENA Solidarity editorial board, chaired the session and welcomed attendees before introducing the speakers.

Jaouhar Bani, also from the MENA Solidarity editorial board, opened the discussion with an overview of the Syrian revolution. He discussed the Syrian revolution and the organisation of workers against Assad’s regime. He elaborated on the international interventions in Syria that undermined revolutionary forces, leading to the ongoing war and the rise of a new regime under Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda affiliate. Bani highlighted the recent violence against minorities, such as the Druze and Christians, and how sectarianism is exploited against the Syrian populace. He concluded by addressing the recent Israeli attacks on Syria and emphasised the importance of supporting the Syrian struggle and the workers striving to establish their unions.

Khalid Sidahmed followed with an analysis of the situation in Sudan, describing the current conflict as a counter-revolutionary war between two militias—both remnants of the old regime—fighting for wealth and power, backed by Western imperialist powers. He traced the roots of the war back to the 2018 revolution. Sidahmed highlighted the critical role played by revolutionary forces and trade unions in both the revolution and the ongoing resistance. He explained how trade unions in Sudan organised strike committees and other grassroots structures around key demands, sharing powerful examples of their impact—such as the electricity workers’ salary committee, which occupied the control room of the Bahri Thermal Plant and plunged much of the capital, Khartoum, into darkness, including strategic sites like the Republican Palace, military headquarters, the Council of Ministers, and military airports. Their slogan was: “No electricity without justice!”. Sidahmed concluded with a call for international solidarity and workers’ support for the Sudanese struggle.

The discussion that followed focused on how to build solidarity with workers and revolutionary movements in Syria and Sudan. Participants condemned the UK’s role—along with other imperial powers—in fuelling wars through arms sales and political alliances that enrich elites while devastating entire populations. Attendees highlighted how these same imperialist policies force millions to flee their homelands, only to be denied safe and legal routes to seek refuge in Europe and the UK.

Contributors also spoke about how successive UK governments use racism and divide-and-rule tactics to scapegoat migrants and refugees—masking their own failures to provide for the needs of ordinary people, while slashing support for health, education, disabled people, women, and the most vulnerable. There was strong agreement on the importance of opposing the arms trade and challenging the rise in authoritarianism, particularly the use of anti-terror laws to criminalise protest. Special attention was given to the central role of the Palestine liberation movement in all global struggles for justice, and the Labour Party’s ongoing attacks on civil liberties.

The discussion concluded with a clear message: the struggles in Syria, Sudan, and Palestine are interconnected, and so must be our resistance. Participants agreed on the urgency of intensifying the fight against arms sales, racism, and imperialism.

Leaflets on Syria and Sudan were widely distributed, and many attendees engaged in follow-up discussions to build solidarity and strengthen trade union links.

Take action:

• Access our Stop the War in Sudan toolkit and sign the postcard addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging the British government to support the Sudanese people.
• Share this motion with your union branch and advocate for its adoption: Model Motion – Stand with Sudan: Stop the War, Support the People
• Read our analysis, “The Illusion of Choice: Why People Should Reject Both Sides of the War in Sudan”, for essential background on the warring factions and the revolutionary alternative.
• Download / order our newly released “Sudan’s Revolutionary and Popular Movements: a research report”. 
• Book your ticket for the new film “Sudan, remember us” at a screening near you.

Download resources:

• Sudan Update July 2025 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Sudan’s Militia War on the People’ Sudan Update April 2025 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Reject both sides in Sudan’s war’ Sudan Update February 2025 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Famine is the new war’ Sudan Update September 2024 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Stopping Sudan’s hidden war’ Sudan Update March 2024 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Why is there a war in Sudan?’ Sudan Update May 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Stop the war in Sudan’ Sudan Update April 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• Stop the war in Sudan / Refugees welcome A4 poster – download >>here