News September 2002 – March 2003

13 March 2003: Colchester

Colchester anti-Nazis drive back the BNP

Dozens of Colchester anti-Nazis took to the streets last Sunday for a day of action in the Christ Church area of town. The aim of the day was to undermine the Nazis' attempts to establish a base in the town and block their attempts to stand a council candidate.

Christ Church's local Tory councillor has been inciting racial hatred in the area recently by bombarding locals with disgusting anti-asylum seeker propaganda. This has led to a rise in racist incidents across town, including an attack on a local refuge for asylum seekers.

The Nazi BNP recently announced plans to hold a meeting in the area and contest a council seat in May. But the BNP has no standing and no support in Colchester – and the Anti Nazi League is determined to keep things that way.

The day of action was a fantastic success. The entire ward was leafleted with literature exposing the BNP as Nazis and countering the racist lies that have been put about over the local refuge.

"The idea behind today's action was to head off the BNP before they could even think about getting a toe hold in Colchester," said a local ANL activist. "Far better to see them off now than have to deal with a far more serious threat in a month's time. We want to keep Colchester a Nazi-free zone."

"Today's event has shown that local residents want nothing to do with the BNP's nasty racism. We have brought together local residents and activists from across the political spectrum. We have shown total unity in our opposition to fascism."

5 March 2003: Leeds

Firebomb attack on Leeds anti-Nazis

Two anti-Nazi activists have had their car firebombed outside their home in Leeds. The attack follows their personal details being posted onto Redwatch, a website dedicated to encouraging attacks on anti-racists and intimidating those who stand up to BNP thuggery.

The Redwatch site is run by Combat 18, the violent Nazi terror group that provides "security" at BNP rallies. It contains of photos and personal details of ordinary people who oppose the Nazis, together with threats against them and racist abuse.

Leeds-based BNP Nazi Mark Collett recently had to resign as the party's youth leader after being caught on camera boasting of his admiration for Hitler's regime. The Channel 4 documentary "Young, Nazi and Proud" showed Collett threatening anti-Nazis with violence and vowing to publish their details on Redwatch.

Tony Wentworth, Collett's replacement as BNP youth leader, was recently filmed by Yorkshire TV taking photos of anti-Nazis. Sure enough, these photos later appeared on Redwatch.

The firebomb attack on the Leeds anti-Nazis is yet more evidence of the BNP's direct links to the Nazi terror groups behind Redwatch. It makes a mockery of the party's claim to be a "legitimate democratic party". The BNP is neither democratic nor legitimate. It is ruthless Nazi organisation that has no place in civilised society.

The BNP is standing eight council candidates in Leeds next May, with other Nazis standing in Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax and Wakefield. The Anti Nazi League is determined to oppose the BNP's agenda of race hatred and terror – in West Yorkshire and across the country.

Download Leeds ANL petition against the firebombing

19 February 2003: Lancaster

Lancaster prepares against the Nazis

Around 60 people attended an Anti Nazi League public meeting in Lancaster Town Hall on Wednesday evening, featuring speakers from Lancaster TUC, Lancaster Refugee Support Group, Lancaster Coalition Against the War, the Green Party and Blackburn Anti Nazi League.

Hilton Dawson, MP for Lancaster, also attended and contributed to the discussion. All the speakers agreed on the need for a united local campaign against the British National Party if it stands in May's local council elections.

Everyone agreed to reconvene the meeting if the Nazis confirm their intention to stand in Lancaster. Lancaster ANL will to plan an implement a campaign of action to stop the BNP spreading its racist poison in the town.

If you want to take part in the Lancaster campaign, or would like more information, visit the Anti Nazi League stall, Lancaster town centre, every Saturday from 12 noon. You can email Lancaster ANL at lancaster@anl.org.uk

4 February 2003: Crouch End, London

Anti-Nazis scupper BNP rally in London

The BNP's attempt to hold a rally in Crouch End, north London, was blocked today by a 300-strong Anti Nazi League demonstration. The Nazis had hoped to hold a meeting in the headquarters, but the British Legion cancelled the booking when they realised it was organised by the BNP.

Nevertheless, local people – including parents with their children – turned out in droves to prevent the BNP from holding a rally outside Hornsey Town Hall. The Nazis took one look at the united show of resistence against them and scuttled off. Reports suggest the police had to shut down a local pub later when drunken BNP thugs started to cause trouble.

"I was really impressed at the turnout, as it was a freezing cold night," comments one local anti-Nazi. "Thank goodness people turn out when it is necessary. We need this sort of action everywhere – but even stronger and more sustained."

24 January 2003: Halifax

NAZIS GRAB FIFTH SEAT

The Nazi BNP won its fifth council seat in the country last night. Adrian Marsden, a violent thug with a history of involvement in Nazi terror group Combat 18, polled 679 votes to take a byelection in Mixenden, Halifax, part of Calderdale Council.

Marsden was regional organiser of Combat 18 until 1999 when his home was raided by Special Branch officers. His sick Nazi activities included producing a "newsletter" called the Halifax Patriot that celebrated the deaths of local Asians and blacks.

A key factor behind the BNP win in Mixenden was the collapse of the Tory vote, which dropped to 214 from 658 in May 2000. This suggests that former Conservative voters have shifted en bloc to the BNP.

Mixenden is not the first time that the BNP has picked up votes from former Tory voters. Cliviger, a well-off village on the outskirts of Burnley, elected a Nazi councillor last May. A similar pattern was seen at the Mill Hill byelection in Blackburn last November, which was also snatched by the BNP.

[Full results: BNP 679, LibDem 651, Labour 641, Tories 214, Independent 142]

NEWS LINKS:

British National Party takes fifth council seat – Ananova, 24 January 2003
Would-be councillor is hiding a Nazi past – Sunday Mirror, 19 January 2003
BNP Under the Skin: Adrian Marsden – BBC Panorama, 25 November 2001

3 December 2002: Cambridge

Cambridge ANL scuppers Griffin ‘debate’

Cambridge anti-Nazis scored a victory on Tuesday when a planned "debate" with BNP führer Nick Griffin was cancelled at the last minute by the organisers

The attempt by the Cambridge Forum to roll out the red carpet to a Nazi sparked widespread outrage. Griffin has a criminal conviction for incitement to racial hatred. He denies that the Holocaust took place and says his "ultimate aim is an all-white society".

Anti-Nazis had been due to picket the event, which was moved to the privately owned Cambridge Union building after two other university-based venues refused to let Griffin onto their premises. Instead, some anti-Nazi 50 students and residents turned out for a victory rally. They pledged to mount a similar campaign next February, when the Cambridge Union plans to invite Griffin again.

The campaign against the Griffin "debate" attracted support from across the university community. Students organised a petition against the meeting: signatories included the president of Cambridge University Student Union, as well as the university's Jewish Society, Islamic Society, Israeli Society and Palestinian Society.

The Anti Nazi League found out that the "debate" had been cancelled on Tuesday afternoon. We phoned up the Cambridge Union and were told: "The meeting's off. The Liberal Democrat MP pulled out four minutes ago."

Lembit Öpik MP, the LibDem frontbencher who had disgracefully agreed to share a platform with a Nazi, now claims he didn't pull out. The Cambridge Forum has resorted to transparent smear tactics, alleging that they cancelled the debate because of "threats of violence".

The truth is the debate was stopped because of a united mass campaign by anti-racists, who refused to stand idle and let Griffin gain respectability for his vile Nazi politics.

The Oxford Union tried to organise a similar "debate" earlier this year, featuring Norman Tebbit speaking on the same side as Olivier Martinelli, a leading French Nazi. It too was cancelled after protests from anti-Nazis.

2 December 2002: Burnley

Trade unionists unite to fight the Nazis

‘Speak out against the BNP’ urges Burnley conference

The Unity Conference Against Racism and the Nazis held in Burnley on 30 November 2002 attracted some 60 delegates from across Lancashire to discuss and develop practical strategies for fighting the Nazi BNP in the region.

Speakers included Glyn Ford MEP, Giovanna Holt (GMB race officer) and Ateeq Siddique from the Stop the War Coalition. The conference issued the following statement:

29 November 2002: London

DANNII OUTED AS A RACIST BIGOT

Pop singer praises Le Pen and lays into Asians and asylum seekers

Pop singer Dannii Minogue has revealed herself as a racist bigot in an interview at a plush London restaurant for GQ magazine. Dannii spoke warmly of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the French fascist leader, claiming his virulent attacks on Asians and asylum seekers "struck a chord with people". She launched a tirade against Asians living in Australia, complaining that "even some of the street signs are in Asian [sic]". Dannii also lashed out at asylum seekers, Gypsies and people who live on council estates.

The British National Party has eagerly endorsed Dannii's racism and snobbery. The party's website proudly proclaims that "Kylie's sister backs the BNP!", using her invective to fuel its Nazi campaign of race hatred. Racist attacks have shot up in areas where the Nazi BNP is active. Bigoted comments from public figures feed into this terror by giving racism a veneer of respectability and boosting the confidence of Nazi thugs.

Dannii's racism is compounded by the breathtaking hypocrisy of her comments. Dannii is herself a native of Australia who moved to Britain to further her career – an "economic migrant", in other words. Immigrants are okay by Dannii – providing they're rich and white!

The venue for Dannii's racist outburst was Les Trois Garçons, a £200-a-head restaurant decorated with stuffed animals and located in "trendy" Shoreditch, East London. It is right next door to Brick Lane, a vibrant but impoverished area of London and the centre of the city's Bangladeshi community. BNP member David Copeland planted a nailbomb in the area in 1999 as part of his campaign to ignite a "race war" in Britain. Copeland also bombed Brixton town centre and a gay pub in Soho, where he killed three people.

Dannii's praise for Jean-Marie Le Pen echoes comments made by Eric Clapton in 1976, who supported the racist Tory politician Enoch Powell and called for Kenyan Asians to be "sent home". Clapton's outburst led directly to the formation of Rock Against Racism, a huge popular movement that was instrumental in smashing the National Front in the late 1970s.

While Dannii is not in Clapton's musical league, her bigotry is identical. But it is unequivocally rejected by her fellow musicians and artists. The Love Music Hate Racism campaign, organised by the Anti Nazi League, brings together music lovers from all races and backgrounds to fight racism and defend our multicultural society. Love Music Hate Racism is backed by stars such as Ms Dynamite, Doves, Heartless Crew and Tim Westwood. The campaign launches on Friday 6 December at Ocean, Hackney.

NEWS LINK:

Dannii's bizarre anti-Asian rant – The Age (Melbourne), 28 November 2002

23 November 2002: Blackburn

Blackburn unites against the Nazis

Anti-BNP rally in town hall attracts over 100

Over 100 local people attended an Anti Nazi League rally in Blackburn town hall last Saturday to protest at the election of a BNP councillor at last week's Mill Hill ward byelection. Speakers from across the community came together for the rally, including Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, local students and trade unionists, as well as anti-Nazi campaigners from nearby Burnley and Oldham.

The speakers stressed the need to expose the BNP as a Nazi organisation and counter the party's systematic lies about its true nature. BNP thugs painted swastikas on walls in Blackburn during the by-election campaign and made 'seig-heil' salutes at the count.

People were acutely conscious of the town's history of fighting fascism. The National Front gained its first two councillors in Blackburn in the 1970s, before being beaten back by a united march of over 7,000 anti-Nazis. One speaker brought along the original 1970s Anti Nazi League banner that led the march.

"The mood of the meeting was upbeat," said a spokesperson for Blackburn ANL. "Everyone in the town centre was very supportive of the rally - there was hardly any negative feeling. Anti-Nazis are the majority here and we're confident that together we can step up the pressure and make life difficult for the BNP."

Many trade union banners were visible at the rally, including ones representing local branches of Unison, GPMU and NATFHE. The local trade union movement is committed to fighting the BNP, reflecting the pivotal role that unions have played in the struggle against fascism.

After the rally, local anti-Nazis visited picket lines at Blackburn and Darwen fire stations with copies of an anti-BNP leaflet produced jointly by the Fire Brigades Union and Anti Nazi League. Striking firefighters expressed their support for the town's campaign against racism and the BNP.

The next step for Blackburn's campaign against the Nazis is a major public rally scheduled for Wednesday 4 December. Speakers include Glyn Ford MEP, treasurer of the Anti Nazi League and rapporteur on the rise of racism and xenophobia for the European Parliament.

21 November 2002: Blackburn

BNP grabs council seat in Blackburn

The Nazi BNP has conned its way onto Blackburn council. The BNP Nazis got in by just 16 votes at a by-election in Mill Hill ward on Thursday.

Mill Hill is one of the most deprived areas of Blackburn. During the campaign, the Nazis bussed in activists from nearby Burnley and around the country to whip up hysteria against asylum seekers.

Swastikas were daubed on walls in the area days before the election, only to be painted out by anti-Nazis. BNP thugs turned up at the by-election count and made Nazi salutes at protestors.

The BNP also distributed a fake leaflet, purporting to come from the Liberal Democrats, that claimed the Liberal Democrats would spend all the council's money on refugees.

The Nazis have stolen this seat with less than a third of the vote. But the local response to Anti Nazi League campaigning has already been positive. Anti-Nazis are the majority in Blackburn and we are determined to continue the fight to unite the community and drive the Nazis out.

[Full results: BNP 578, Labour 562, LibDem 505, Tories 154]

21 September 2002: Telford

Telford ANL foils BNP ‘Day of Action’

United community response sends the Nazis scuttling home

Anti-Nazis in Telford successfully prevented the British National Party from holding a "Day of Action" in the town on Saturday 21 September. BNP activists from across Shropshire had intended to come into Telford and distribute racist propaganda. But when the Nazis arrived at Telford Central station, they were confronted by a 50-strong group of councillors, union officials and local people. The BNP took one look at the united opposition to them and scuttled home.

The Telford anti-BNP rally was organised by local Anti Nazi League members with just two days notice. Speakers at the rally included local Labour councillor David Davies, together with representatives from the Fire Brigades Union, Unison, Community Youth Workers Union, Telford Trades Council and Telford Socialist Alliance. The town's two MPs, Peter Bradley and David Wright, sent messages of support, as did the local branch of the National Union of Teachers.

The Nazi BNP is targetting Telford with the aim of building support for its candidates at next year's local elections. The organisation has been encouraging its members in Shropshire to distribute racist material and send in letters to local papers attacking asylum seekers and Muslims. However, Saturday's united and positive response shows that ordinary people in Telford are succesfully standing up to the Nazis.

"This was a victory for us," said a local Anti Nazi League spokesperson. "With just two days to organise we managed to stop the Nazis from distributing their racist propaganda. We now have a strong base to build a mass Anti Nazi League in Telford. However, there is no room for complacency and we remain vigilant."

16 September 2002: Burnley

BNP BOOTED OFF BURNLEY
CARE HOMES CAMPAIGN

Anti-Nazi victory as BNP is forced to cancel Burnley march

Burnley's anti-racist majority has scored another victory over the British National Party. The Nazi BNP had been planning to march through the streets of the town on Saturday 21 September, ostensibly to demonstrate against the closure of local care homes.

But the BNP called off its plans following pressure from anti-Nazis and an unequivocal rejection from the real care homes campaigners in the town. The care homes campaign march will now go ahead free of the distraction of the BNP's attempts to hijack the issue for its own racist ends.

The struggle in Burnley to save care homes from closure has long been hampered by BNP attempts to infiltrate it. But the Nazis' humiliating climbdown over their proposed march demonstrates that the tide in the town is turning against them.

The BNP is now running scared from a popular anti-racist fightback. It no longer dares to spread its racist poison in public and can only hold its rallies in secret or behind police lines.

A spokesperson for Burnley Trades Council welcomed the campaigners' victory over the BNP: "The BNP's threatened presence had been putting people off from joining the care homes campaign. We need to build a positive and united campaign against closures. The BNP delivers nothing but race hatred and division."

The Anti Nazi League is keeping up the pressure by publicising the real nature of the BNP. The BNP cynically pretends to be in favour of public health provision in order to make itself appear respectable.

But its real views were made clear by its Hitler-worshipping founder, John Tyndall, who said: "The NHS symbolises everything that is wrong with British society today, with its indiscriminate and promiscuous compassion."

1 September 2002: Manchester

LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM CARNIVAL

30,000 rock‘n’rave against the Nazi BNP in Manchester

The Anti Nazi League's Love Music Hate Racism carnival last Sunday was a huge success, attracting some 30,000 people of all races and ages to Platt Fields Park, Manchester. Ms Dynamite, Doves, Billy Bragg, The Shining and Heartless Crew were among the stars that rocked and raved against racism.

Glorious sunshine and a positive vibe contributed to a day that will be remembered for years to come as a militant celebration of multi-racial unity and a decisive blow against the race-hatred of the Nazi BNP.

Love Music Hate Racism kicked off with a 3,000-strong march from Manchester Town Hall to the carnival site. Underground garage stars Heartless Crew were at the front of the demonstration, with MCs Bushkin and Mighty Moe leading vibrant chants against the BNP.

The march was a sea of red and yellow, with protestors carrying "lollipop" placards bearing the Anti Nazi League's distinctive arrow logo.

The carnival started off with a tearing set from upcoming indie stars Miss Black America on the main stage. The second stage featured the cream of the country's hip-hop and garage talent, including Out Da Ville, Phi-Life Cypher and the indefatigable Heartless Crew. The dance marquee was also buzzing all day, with storming drum'n'bass sessions from Nicky Blackmarket & MC Foxy and local heroes Daze & Sappo.

The day ended with a beautiful acoustic set from Doves, followed by an extraordinary performance from chart-topper Ms Dynamite. The 21-year old r&b star performed songs from her new album before plucking seven local youngsters from the audience onto the stage to sing and MC alongside her.

Throughout the carnival, artists spoke, sang and rapped about the need to combat racism and beat back the Nazi BNP. The event was much more than a pop concert – the positive vibe went hand-in-hand with an active and militant political spirit. Love Music Hate Racism was the first major anti-racist event to be held in the North West since last year's race riots and May's election of three BNP councillors in Burnley.

The huge local support for the carnival demonstrates that the vast majority of ordinary people in the region emphatically reject the virulent racism of the BNP. Love Music Hate Racism was free, open to all and held on public land. It posed a stark contrast to the BNP's dismal "Red, White & Blue" rally, held last month in Sawley, Lancashire. Despite massive publicity, the BNP's invitation-only "festival" attracted no more than 400 hardcore Nazis and could only go ahead on private land behind police lines.

The next step for Love Music Hate Racism is to hold a similar carnival in Burnley, the epicentre of Nazi activity in the North West with three BNP councillors. The carnival was originally planned for the town, but had to be moved to Manchester at the eleventh hour after Burnley town hall chiefs capitulated to the Nazis and banned the event.

Thousands of people attending the Manchester council signed a petition condemning Burnley Council's cowardice and demanding that an anti-Nazi event be held in the town next spring. The petition was also signed by all the artists performing at Love Music Hate Racism and will be handed in the council.

Fresh from its Manchester success, Love Music Hate Racism will now go round the country, promoting a series of gigs, raves and club nights against the BNP and other Nazi organisations. Love Music Hate Racism will energise the anti-racist majority across the country and prove that music can be a powerful force in fighting fascism and injustice.

MORE INFORMATION:

Check out our Carnival Photo Gallery
Visit the Love Music Hate Racism website