1976: The Beginning
Rock Against Racism (RAR) was founded in the UK by activists including Red Saunders and Roger Huddle. It was a direct grassroots response to two major issues: the rising street violence and political influence of the fascist National Front, and highly publicized racist remarks made by prominent rock musicians at the time, most notably Eric Clapton and David Bowie.
1976–1981: The Core Movement
Operating under the slogan “Love Music, Hate Racism,” RAR fought bigotry by bringing Black and white fans together. The movement deliberately booked reggae and punk bands on the same stages, forging a unified youth culture against fascism.
- The 1978 Victoria Park Carnival: The movement’s defining moment was a massive carnival in London where 100,000 people marched to a concert featuring The Clash, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, and the Tom Robinson Band.
- Impact: By 1982, the original RAR campaign wound down. During its active years, it had hosted hundreds of gigs and helped drive the National Front into political obscurity.
2002–2020: The Legacy Reborn
As new far-right and anti-immigrant groups began to surface in the 21st century, the movement was officially rebooted in 2002 as the Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) campaign. LMHR carried the torch forward, continuing to organize national tours, educational campaigns, and massive floats at events like the Notting Hill Carnival. Following the global racial justice protests in 2020, the RAR banner was also reignited internationally to support modern civil rights issues.
2026: The 50th Anniversary
Fast forward to today, 2026 marks exactly half a century since the birth of Rock Against Racism. Because the fight against far-right extremism remains highly relevant, the 50th anniversary is currently being marked across the UK. Historic acts who championed the original movement—such as Misty in Roots and The Cimarons—are headlining major anniversary concerts, alongside a wave of local LMHR benefit gigs raising funds to combat modern racism.
Red Mists 