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In pics: the UAF and We Are Luton demo against the EDL, 5 May

Sun, 06 May 2012 18:26:47 +0000

The UAF and We Are Luton demonstration against the racists and fascists of the English Defence League brought together people of all backgrounds in a lively celebration of our multiracial, multicultural society – and united opposition to the EDL.

>> Read our full report here

Thanks to Mark Kerrison for the pictures.

Richard Howitt, the MEP for East of England (centre) and Luton North MP Kelvin Hopkins (right) with placards from the Unite trade union

Left: Luton student Sanum Ghafoor (top) and Luton South MP Gavin Shuker (below) address the antifascist rally. Right: Hitler turns out for the EDL.

Luton: antifascists outnumber EDL as it launches new party

Sun, 06 May 2012 18:25:27 +0000

The English Defence League’s planned ‘celebration’ of its three years of existence turned sour as they were outnumbered by antifascists in Luton on Saturday 5 May.

The EDL claims Luton as its home town, but only around 800 or so supporters turned out for a rally held behind a huge steel fence that degenerated as drunken thugs – who had been allowed to assemble in pubs that opened specially at 8.30am – threw bottles at police and set off fireworks and smoke bombs.

That number is far below the 2,500-3,000 supporters it bussed into Luton last year and marks the success of antifascists in containing the threat of the EDL’s racist and fascist thugs at a series of demonstrations around the country in the past three years.

Frustration

The EDL’s frustration at its poor showing on Saturday was expressed in the call by leader Stephen Yaxley Lennon (AKA ‘Tommy Robinson’) for yet another attempt at a demo in Luton in August.

The racist thugs endured a 25-minute speech by Yaxley Lennon, who with fellow EDL leader Kevin Carroll has now been proclaimed joint vice-chair of the British Freedom Party, the outfit formed by former senior British National Party members, which announced an alliance with the EDL last year.

The BFP is a fascist organisation seeking to inherit the electoral mantle from the BNP following its collapse at the elections this week. The new BFP’s link with the EDL creates a classic two-pronged fascist attack, with a ‘political wing’ focused on elections and a violent, street thug wing.

British Freedom Party

But the BFP’s launch was something of a damp squib. It tested the water with six candidates in Thursday’s local elections, five of them in Liverpool – with four of these being former BNP candidates.

They scored derisory votes at the polls, ranging from a high of just 87 votes in Basilon Essex to a laughable 17 votes in Liverpool’s county ward.

Meanwhile, the antmosphere at the antifascist UAF and We Are Luton demo was very different, with music and a lively, youthful crowd of black, white and Asian people from a range of backgrounds, proud to stand together against the racists and fascists.

Side by side

Trade unionists stood side by side with members of the local Muslim community, which has been particularly targeted by the EDL. Up to 2,000 demonstrators took part with local people joining the march as it went along and turning out for to the final rally.

>> Photo round-up

Banners on display included Stevenage trades council, PCS Eastern region, Harlow TUC, Luton TUC, Luton NUT and USDAW Welham branches, along with a fine display of flags and ‘racists beware’ placards from trade union Unite.

The demo against the EDL was backed nationally by the TUC, while East of England MEP Richard Howitt, Luton MPs Kelvin Hopkins and Gavin Shuker and a number of local councillors joined the march from Bury Park – where many of Luton’s Muslim community live – into the town centre.

Local Labour councillor Mohammed Riaz said:

This is the real face of Luton — people of all faiths and none, and all the trade unions. Almost every single member of the council is here too. There’s no room for racism in this town.

A number of speakers stressed that the EDL has moved from only targeting Muslims, to attacks on trade unionists, socialists, anti-cuts campaigners and others – this was why we must stand together in unity against the threat the fascists pose to us all.

Local speakers urged that any attempt by the EDL to turn up in Luton again in August should be met with an even bigger turnout.

And UAF chair Steve Hart, who is trade union Unite’s political officer, pledged:

If the BFP stand in elections, we will name them as fascists and campaign to stop them.

UAF assistant joint secretary Martin Smith urged antifascists to mobilise against the EDL in Bristol, Waltham Forest and other areas where the EDL fascists are planning to demonstrate this summer.

Pics: Kelvin Williams

TUC backs UAF and ‘We Are Luton’ demo against EDL, 5 May

Fri, 04 May 2012 20:56:52 +0000

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has spoken out in support of the UAF and ‘We are Luton’ demonstration against the racist and fascist thugs of the English Defence League on Saturday 5 May.

The TUC chief said:

Luton may be the town that the EDL claims as its birthplace but the town does not belong to these vile racists. For years people from all parts of the globe, of all races and religions, have lived quite happily side by side, allowing the town to genuinely claim that it represents multi-culturalism at its best.

In these difficult times, the thousands of ordinary men and women who live in Luton could well do without an invasion this weekend from hordes of angry thugs spouting their anti-Muslim hatred.

We support Unite Against Fascism’s attempts to show the residents of Luton that the overwhelming majority of people in the UK do not have any truck with these extremists and their attempts to bring hatred and division to our communities. We urge the police to think again about the decision to allow the EDL demonstration to go ahead on Saturday.

Luton MPs, local councillors an the town’s Muslim organisations have also thrown their weight behind the antiracist, antifascist demo. Kelvin Hopkins MP said:

I have been a life-long antiracist and we have to support the overwhelming majority of the people of Luton, my home for 43 years, in opposing racism and division. We should celebrate our diversity. We are one community and we must stand together in opposing the EDL.

Gavin Shuker MP adde:

Luton’s diversity and vibrancy makes it a great place to live. Luton in Harmony demands that we oppose all those that divide us. The people of Luton have so many different backgrounds – let us celebrate our unity. I am proud to say that I support equality for all members of society and oppose all forms of discrimination.

And Qadeer Baksh, chair of the Islamic Centre Luton said:

For the first time we will witness Lutonians of all faiths and colors standing up together, united in declaring: ‘We don’t accept the hate filled lies of the EDL.’

>> More about the demonstration against the EDL

Election: London vote crashes as BNP loses every seat it defended

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:17:12 +0000

Sunday 6 May update:

The BNP’s vote collapsed to its lowest ever in the poll for he Greater London Assembly. This was the main target for the fascist party, which aimed to regain the seat it took in 2008 through the ‘top-up list’ vote for London-wide assembly members.

But the BNP received just 2.1% of the poll, with only 47,024 votes – it’s lowest vote ever for the GLA. This total is less than 36% of the votes it won in 2008 and is even lower than the previous low of 47,670 in the 2000 elections.

The London result follows a complete wipeout for the BNP, which lost every seat it defended in the 5 May local council elections.

3pm update, Friday 4 May: The BNP has now been booted out of all the council seats it was defending in this year’s local council elections.

>> Where the fascists were standing

2.45pm update: And following the removal of Burnley’s last BNP councillor comes the happy news that the Nazi party has also lost its seat in neighbouring Pendle, where Adam Grant came second.

In Calderdale, former BNP councillor Tom Bates has failed to get re-elected as an ‘independent’, while David Jones of white power party the BPP has come in fourth.

Former BNP councillor Seamus Dunne has failed to retain his seat in Ashridge ward of Three Rivers council, Herts, by standing under the English Democrats flag.

2.30pm update:The BNP’s Pat Richardson has been booted out comprehensively in Loughton Broadway ward, Epping Forest, Essex, coming in fourth on just 11%. BNP running mate Tom Richardson has done even worse on 5%.

Elsewhere in Epping Forest, English Democrats Party leader Robin Tilbrook has also failed miserably, on 13%. His party is the new home of disaffected BNP members, with more than a quarter of EDP candidates this time having previously stood for the BNP. Tilbrook’s EDP running mate, Eddy Butler – formerly the BNP’s national organiser and architect of its ‘rights for whites’ campaign – has crawled in last with 12% in Loughton Fairmead ward.

11.30am update: The BNP have lost their council seat in Hapton with Park ward, Burnley, Lancashire – on a council that was once a notorious stronghold.

We have some early results for areas where the fascist British National Party was trying to hang on to its clutch of council seats – and so far they have been kicked out in all of them.

The BNP has lost its seats in both Heanor East and Heanor West wards, Amber Valley, Derbyshire. Its candidates were knocked well back into third place in each.

The BNP trailed in last with a poor vote in Barpool ward, Nuneaton and Bedworth. Another seat lost – and they also failed to regain the Camp Hill seat they lost in a 2009 byelection.

The BNP’s seats in the Brinsworth & Catcliffe and Maltby wards, Rotherham have gone too.

More results in areas where the BNP were defending seats are expected later today, along with results in areas contested by fascist candiudates from the BNP, English Democrats and National Front.

Results for the Greater London Assembly – the key target for the BNP – are not expected until this evening.

EDL thugs beat up pensioner: now march against them in Luton

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:29:32 +0000

This is the face of Andrew Smith, aged 69, who was attacked by EDL thugs on Saturday 28 April.

He was one of two pensioners who were hospitalised when a gang of thugs attacked socialists and antiracist campaigners in Lewisham, south east London.

The EDL thugs began with shouts and racist heckling before laying in more violently.

Andrew told Socialist Worker newspaper:

They smashed up our Socialist Worker stall and one of them headbutted me.

I’ve got a possible fractured sinus and a tear to my retina. But I’ll be in Luton on Saturday — and everyone who opposes the fascists should be there too.

The Lewisham Anti Racist Action Group (Larag) reports that another pensioner intervened and was quickly surrounded and flung to the floor, receiving a knock to the head. Both had to receive medical treatment for their injuries. Larag chair Jarman Parmar said:

The actions of these racist attackers is shocking and strengthens our resolve to unite everyone who opposes these kind of behaviours and ideas which have no place in our society.

The attack follows events in Brighton last week, when around 110 marchers from ‘March for England’ – a group closely linked to and sharing members with the EDL – were humiliated and outnumbered by 1,000 antifascists who filled the streets and prevented the EDL’s attempts to reach the seafront.

The thugs were shouting about Brighton before they attacked Andrew. UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett said:

Groups of Nazis tried to disrupt UAF members from leafleting on Saturday. We will not be intimidated. The BNP and EDL are desperate because they are not getting any real support so resorted to terror attacks.

Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of UAF, added:

This vicious, cowardly attack by fascists on anti-racist pensioners, illustrates why we must all campaign against fascism. The police must take action and immediately arrest and charge the perpetrators of this vile attack.

We urge everyone to use their vote on Thursday 3 May and stop fascist and racist groups like the British National Party, English Democrats and National Front from getting elected; and join the peaceful demonstration against the English Defence League organised by We Are Luton and UAF on Saturday 5 May.

The EDL tries to stir up racism against Muslims wherever it goes – but Saturday’s attack is one of many directed by EDL thugs at other traditional targets of fascism. They have attacked socialist meetings, trade union buildings, anti-cuts campaigners, the Occupy camps and even a radical bookshop in Liverpool.

Make sure you’re in Luton to march against the EDL on 5 May. Let’s stand united against the fascists.

>> More about the demo
>> Read the ‘We Are Luton’ statement and initial list of supporters

Assemble at 11am, Wardown Park, New Bedford Road, Luton LU3 1LP and march to St George’s Square in the centre of town.

>> Download demo leaflet here
>> National transport to the demo

Pic by Guy Smallman

After Le Pen’s surge in France, vote against the fascists on 3 May!

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:51:49 +0000

The success of the fascist Front National party leader Marine Le Pen in the first round of the French presidential elections should sound a warning note across Europe.

In Britain and across Europe, a variety of fascist and far right racist organisations are casting admiring eyes at Le Pen’s record 17.9% of the poll – and they gain confidence from it.

Le Pen’s 17.9% vote was higher than the FN’s previous best score of 16.9% in the 2002 elections, when Jean-Marie Le Pen – Marine’s father – was the candidate.

This means nearly one in five French voters cast their ballot for a fascist party.

Stark

The real numbers of people voting show the scale of the fascists’ rise even more starkly. In 2002, the FN won 4.8 million votes. This year, Marine Le Pen has pushed that figure up by a third, to 6.4 million.

In the département (administrative district) of Gard, in the south of France, the FN came first with 25.5%. It polled slightly higher in a handful of other areas without coming first.

Marine Le Pen has endeavoured to present a slicker public image than her father, the previous leader and founder of the FN, who notoriously described the Holocaust as a ‘mere detail’ of history.

Same organisation

But behind the smoother veneer and attempts to play down its more overtly fascist past, Marine’s FN remains the same fascist organisation.

The FN aims to stir up racism against Muslims and immigrants, and has quietly kept up links with violent street fighting groups.

Antifascists in France report that FN activists chased and attacked people who were putting up posters for a left wing candidate, just days before the first round of the election.

Le Pen senior hasn’t gone away either – he is now the FN’s honorary president and spoke at a 1 May rally with his daughter.

The FN’s electoral surge has come against a backdrop of austerity. The party has sought to turn bitterness against increasing poverty and cuts into racist scapegoating of Muslims, Roma people and immigrants, blaming them for the crisis.

Sarkozy

But the fascist party has also been hugely helped by the racist climate encouraged by mainstream politicians such as Nicolas Sarkozy, the outgoing right wing president who remains in contention for the second round of the elections.

Sarkozy’s anti-Muslim racism – expressed in measures such as the law banning the face veil, his attacks on multiculturalism and, most brutally, the forcible smashing up Roma camps by police – has given Le Pen’s fascists legitimacy and encouragement.

Le Pen has snubbed Sarkozy’s overtures and declared she will abstain in the second round of the elections, when Sarkozy and Socialist party candidate Francois Hollande will go head to head – she is focusing now on the French parliamentary elections in June, where the FN hopes to take seats.

Vote on 3 May

The FN fascists’ surge makes it all the more important to make sure that antifascists in Britain use their votes and encourage others to vote to ensure fascist candidates standing in the local elections – for the British National Party, the English Democrats and the National Front – get nowhere on Thursday 3 May.

Although the remnants of the British National Party have nothing like the strength of the French FN, the opportunity to drive them out of their clutch of remaining council seats must not be missed.

It is especially important to get the antifascist vote out in London, where the BNP could still take a seat on the Greater London Assembly if they get 5% of the vote. Every ballot cast for another party helps push the fascists’ percentage down below the danger line.

But other fascists are also looking to Le Pen for inspiration. The racist street thugs of the English Defence League are set to give a public launch to their electoral allies, the British Freedom Party, at the EDL demo in Luton on Saturday 5 May.

BFP, EDL and Luton

The BFP was set up by former leading BNP members and wants to use Luton to set itself up as the electoral successor to the failing BNP. Its tie up with the EDL gives the combined outfit the traditional two-pronged attack of Hitler and Mussolini’s fascists: a street fighting wing, and an electoral wing.

UAF is urging all antiracists and antifascists to join the national demo against the EDL in Luton on Saturday – we need to push the fascists back both at the ballot box and on the streets.

Jubilant antifascists swamp the EDL’s mates in Brighton

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:12:24 +0000

UPDATED: 23 April

Antifascists in Brighton have scored a fantastic success against ‘March for England’ – an outfit with close ties with the English Defence League.

MfE supporters and flags are regularly in evidence at demos organised by the racist and fascist thugs of the EDL. Their Brighton event was also being backed by the EDL-linked racist football hooligan organisation Casuals United, which told supporters not to wear ‘colours’ – EDL or Casuals clothing or insignia.

But it wasn’t a good day for the EDL in disguise.

Around 1,000 antifascists, overwhelmingly local residents, turned out on the streets of the city today, vastly outnumbering up to 120 of the EDL’s mates, who arrived by train.

The antifascist demonstrators were joined by local MP Caroline Lucas as well as some local councillors.

Crowds of antifascists filled Brighton’s streets to block the march by the EDL and their racist mates.

Despite a heavy police escort, the fascists were repeatedly forced to divert from their route into sidestreets. Antifascists even set up a barricade to block one street.

The police later confirmed that ‘the strength of opposition’ had prevented the racist marchers from going past the clocktower or reaching the seafront as they had planned.

The racist march was surrounded throughout, with its chants drowned out by hundreds of antifascist demonstrators.

The racists were humiliated as Brighton people made clear – in great numbers – their pride in their diverse city.

There was a celebratory air among the antifascist demonstrators as it became clear the streets and the day belonged to them.

Pics by bethgranter and trotskyistvoid

UPDATED: Different faces, same hatred – Breivik and the EDL

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:47:33 +0000

We have reissued our poster – different faces, same hatred – warning that Norway killer Anders Behring Breivik was inspired by the poisonous politics of the English Defence League.

The poster shows Breivik – a fascist who hates multiculturalism, Muslims and the left – and “Tommy Robison”, leader of the EDL, an organisation of racist and fascist thugs who hate multiculturalism, Muslims and the left.
>> Download the poster and display it in windows or on noticeboards

>> Find out more about the national demonstration against the EDL

Breivik has been using his trial as a platform for his poisonous politics, insulting his victims and their relatives by declaiming more of his vicious racist hatred in a bid to “justify” his actions.

The Norwegian killer was in touch with EDL members and was inspired by the same ideas.

And the EDL’s “Tommy Robinson” – real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon – has praised Breivik as “pretty smart” and was filmed by Channel 4 drunkenly taunting a Muslim man and pretending to be Breivik.

On Saturday 5 May, there is a chance to show our opposition to the homegrown racists and fascists of the EDL and our horror at Breivik’s massacre in Norway at a national demonstration against the EDL in Luton.

Help make sure that as Breivik’s trial continues, the voice of antiracists and antifascists is heard loud and clear.

NUT leader Christine Blower joins in with election campaign

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:18:39 +0000

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, joined UAF supporters to leaflet voters at Kings Cross station, urging them to use their votes on 3 May to stop fascist candidates.

The picture shows Christine with UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett, at Kings Cross, handing out leaflets sponsored by the NUT.

Busy

The leaflets, targeting the British National Party and other fascist candidates, went down well with commuters at the busy central London rail and tube station.

Campaigning has also been under way elsewhere around the country.

UAF organiser Paul reports from the North West:

Around 20 people were out leafleting today in Burnley. Campaigners delivered a leaflet to every house in Hapton & Park ward, where UAF aims to kick out the last sitting Nazi BNP councillor in Burnley.

This would see Burnley council fascist-free for the first time since 2002, when the BNP originally made its election breakthrough, winning three seats there.

This weekend also saw other UAF activities against fascist candidates in other parts of the North West, including Liverpool, Wigan and Bolton. Anyone who can help UAF’s campaign to boot the nazis out of the North West should contact 07817 688 835.

In Loughton, Essex, UAF members leafleted the Loughton Broadway electoral ward, where they are aiming to kick out BNP councillor Pat Richardson. The whole ward was covered on Sunday, with 1,700 leaflets delivered in total. The response was positive in the area.

To get involved in antifascist election activity around the country, see the list here or phone the UAF office on 020 7801 2782.

Pic of Christine Blower by Kelvin Williams

Livingstone pulls out of BBC mayoral debate in protest at BNP invite

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:18:25 +0000

Ken Livingstone, Labour’s candidate for mayor of London, has pulled out of the BBC’s mayoral debate in protest at the inclusion of the fascist British National Party on the programme.

Ken Livingstone said today:

I have long held to the belief in no platform for the far right. The far right want to destroy our democracy and stand for the elimination of our basic rights. They cannot be treated as a legitimate part of politics.

I am withdrawing from Monday’s mayoral debate on BBC London 94.9 on the grounds that I am not prepared to share a platform with the British National Party.

We have been in negotiation about a debate with the main candidates for BBC London 94.9 – but only now have we been informed that the BNP had been invited to take part in this debate, and this has been confirmed to us today.

I will not share a platform with the BNP and it is a point of principle to me that I never will do.

That the BNP candidate may have called for a second preference for me is clearly designed to disorganise progressive opinion and divide opposition to them.

Not only don’t I want their second preference but I will not share a platform with them. I urge everyone to use their vote on 3 May to vote to keep the BNP out.

UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett said:

We would like to congratulate Ken Livingstone on his principled stand in refusing to share a platform with the BNP.

The BNP is a fascist party led by a convicted Holocaust denier, Nick Griffin. Everywhere it goes, it stirs up racist hatred against black people, Jewish people, Muslims and LGBT people. These fascists should not be given air time.

Ken is a founder member of UAF and we fully support his move to pull out of the BBC debate.

UAF is urging all voters to use their votes to keep the BNP out on Thursday 3 May. The fascist party is standing in the mayoral race and is also seeking to regain a seat on the Greater London Assembly through the “top-up list”. Antifascists are determined not to let the BNP sneak in again.