Channel 4 to Air Defiance: Fighting the Far Right Again

Channel 4 is set to rebroadcast Defiance: Fighting the Far Right from August 12 to 14.

Defiance is produced by Rogan Productions and Group M Motion Entertainment, in association with Left Handed Films. Having first aired on Channel 4 earlier this year, the series is also available to stream in full.

Across three hours, Defiance examines how British Asians and immigrants were targeted with a campaign of violence and murder between 1976 and 1981.

Shaminder Nahal, Channel 4’s head of specialist factual, said: “As we all try to make sense of the horrific scenes of racist violence taking place on our streets and what these events say about Britain, this timely series provides important context. The series reveals the deep-seated fear of immigration from some British people back in the 70s and 80s, how that informed political debate and how devastating the violence on the streets was to become. Defiance: Fighting the Far Right painfully highlights the impact and toll that racism has on those who courageously fought it across decades, and gives us much to reflect on today.”

James Rogan, executive producer for Rogan Productions, said: “A comprehensive telling of the extraordinary experiences of a generation of Asian refugees and migrants who came to Britain and faced unprecedented wave of racial violence, stood their ground and turned the tide, is long overdue. This landmark documentary series is packed with jaw-dropping stories and thrilling tales of resistance, breaking new ground on stories long overlooked forgotten.”

Left Handed Films’ Riz Ahmed and Allie Moore added: “The British Asian civil rights movement is a forgotten piece of history. The Southall Protests, the death of Blair Peach, and the story of the Bradford 12 all continue to shape Britain. These are stories of bravery in the face of violence and a refusal to let prejudice go unchallenged—they could not be more timely.”