RECENT waves of far-right-fuelled riots have shaken many of the country’s most vulnerable areas. Yet, despite being one of the most deprived local authorities, Salford has thankfully avoided such unrest. 

The reasons why Salford remained calm are debatable, especially considering past far-right rallies led by figures like Tommy Robinson. However, one thing is clear — complacency is not an option.

This is why many Salfordians are campaigning for a monument to honour the city’s volunteers who fought fascism during the Spanish civil war as members of the International Brigades.

The initiative is led by the Salford Trades Union Council, the International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT), Salford Labour Party, and the Working Class Movement Library (WCML). Their vision is to create a monument that not only honours the sacrifices of these brave individuals but also reinforces their legacy of solidarity, democracy and freedom.

Salford’s anti-fascist heroes

Research has identified 30 volunteers from Salford who fought in the Spanish civil war, nine of whom were killed in action. Their stories illustrate a remarkable commitment to justice and human rights.

Among them is Molly Murphy, raised in Salford’s slums by a father often unemployed due to his socialist activism. Living in Eccles, she co-founded the local Suffragette movement and trained as a nurse.

After marrying Jack Murphy, a prominent member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), she travelled to the Soviet Union to study its healthcare system and even met Lenin.

In January 1937, despite being 42 and in poor health, Molly answered the call to aid democratic Spain. She worked tirelessly in nine hospitals over eight months, treating wounded Republican soldiers. Later, during the Blitz in London, she endured gruelling 100-hour weeks in hospitals before her health forced her to retire in 1942.

From boxing champion to freedom fighter

Another notable figure is Joe Norman, who began working in a mill at just 14 years old. His early activism earned a 20 per cent pay raise for workers. Later, as a Merchant Navy sailor and champion boxer, he was admired for his skill by Red Army soldiers during a Soviet boxing tour.

Joe’s life took a drastic turn when his friend George Brown, a fellow Manchester volunteer, was killed in Spain. Determined to fight, Joe joined the International Brigades and served in some of the war’s fiercest battles. 

He was captured by fascist forces and spent nearly a year in a Gestapo-controlled concentration camp. Despite facing near-execution multiple times, he survived and was repatriated in December 1938.

Back home, Joe continued his activism, helping to establish a local branch of the National Union of Public Employees (now Unison) and founding a British Legion chapter. He later moved to Corby, where he opened the Corby Trades and Labour Club and provided refuge to Chilean families fleeing Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Salford’s solidarity with Spain

Salford’s support for the Spanish Republic extended beyond the battlefield. My grandfather, a Salford docker, often recounted stories about Joe’s brother, George Norman, a militant unionist expelled from the Transport and General Workers Union for taking unofficial strike action. George was part of the Aid for Spain movement, a massive grassroots effort compared by historian Jim Fyrth to the Chartist movement in its scope.

Salford played a critical role in this campaign. Several ships loaded with food and supplies left Salford Docks for Spain. Motorbike engines from Patricroft’s Gardeners’ Works and vans repurposed as ambulances from a Blackfriars dealership were donated. Door-to-door collections for aid were a common sight, with the impoverished residents of Salford’s Depression-era slums giving generously.

Salfordians not only sent aid — they welcomed refugees. When almost 4,000 Basque children fled the Nazi bombings of Spain, 30 Basque children found temporary refuge at Catholic children’s homes in Eccles and Seedley under the responsibility of the Basque Children Committee.

When the children were relocated to Sheffield, local residents showered them with toys, filling a bus in just 20 minutes. The crew of the Spanish Republican ship Bartello, docked in Salford, raised £20 to buy new clothes for the children, who tearfully cried, “No more Salford!” as they left.

A monument to inspire future generations

These stories of courage, solidarity, and resistance deserve to be remembered. The proposed monument will do more than commemorate the past — it will serve as an educational tool for future generations. It will remind Salford’s children and communities of the enduring importance of democracy, tolerance, and collective action.

By creating this memorial, we aim to inspire a renewed commitment to these values. We hope you will join us in making this vision a reality by sharing our story, donating, and encouraging your union branches and community organizations to support the campaign.

Salford’s history of fighting for justice and standing against oppression is a legacy worth preserving — and celebrating.

Jack Youd is a Salford Labour councillor and deputy city mayor.

Please consider supporting this important cause by donating to our Crowdfunder at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/salford-international-brigade-memorial.

Make your cheques payable to: Salford TUC (IB Memorial) Send to: Barrie D. Eckford c/o Salford TUC, Tunshill Road, Manchester, M23 9QB.