BNP's Red, White and Blue Festival announced.

[carrandrewj]

THE BNP has confirmed it will hold its Red, White and Blue festival in Derbyshire for the third consecutive year, despite fears of violent protests.


At last year's event, 36 anti-BNP protesters were arrested outside the site in Codnor-Denby Lane, Denby, after clashes with police.


People living nearby have said they do not want the event to return and police have written to Alan Warner, who owns the fields used for the event, to tell him they believe the site is unsuitable for the festival.


But the BNP said it could see no reason to change venues because there has been no previous trouble on the site itself.


The party has now confirmed that the festival will take place in Denby on August 13, 14 and 15.


I read this article on the this is derbyshire website. Later in the article, it mentions how UAF are deciding a response. As far as I am aware, a photoshoot and a few strong words are not going to stop the fascists.

What do people think should be done to ensure this event doesn't take place?

[Holden Caulfield]

Disrupt it, and any business that supports it.

UAF were a joke last year, people should be ashamed for support such a bullshit group.

More from me later....

[teenagebricks]

UAF can have their soapbox but the fascists should - and I pray will - be met with force.

[ls]

Hopefully this time Nick Griffin will accidentally cook one or preferably all of his chubby fingers on the barbecue mistaking them for sausages.

[h0m0revolutionary]

Disrupt it, and any business that supports it.

UAF were a joke last year, people should be ashamed for support such a bullshit group.

More from me later....


Absolutly, just to remind people how outrageous they are..

they asked the police for a marching route, were declined so compromised on a march route that was at a different location to where the main organising group (Notts Against the BNP) had already had cleared. So UAF, because they do not dominate Notts Against the BNP held a different march in a different (further away from the BNP camp) location.. pure sectarianism.

They then did not engage once in any confrontation with the police (who openly stated their intention was to protect the fascisst from us - as opposed to oversee a peaceful protest).

We anarchos and a few genuine socialists were the only ones that managed to confront the police and only myself and another person managed to get inside the BNP camp - not for lack of numbers, but because UAF took half the fucking march away by declaring a separate march. Pure disgusting.

This year has to be more people, less UAF'ers - they have no interest in actually tackling fascism.

[Melbourne Lefty]

This year has to be more people, less UAF'ers - they have no interest in actually tackling fascism.


Is getting people onto the site a good tactic?

How about campaigning in the town? Getting a real grassroots campaign out. Show the BNP that no-one in the town wants them there.

Personally I think that would do a lot more than getting 20 or 30 people kicked off the site.

Imagine a huge protest in the town itself on the first day of the RWB with shops all putting up signs saying "No BNP served here".

Probably have a much greater effect on the BNP morale than bussing in a few hundred uni students who proceed to chant "Nazi scum off our streets" to the general bemusement of locals.

Ignore UAF and get everyone who genuinely wants to build a base in this town together, and do it now, get the organising done now, set up a freakin blog and get some phone numbers of local and regional groups together now, do some outreach with local shop keepers and go door to door like the BNP do when they are campaigning.

Otherwise it will simply end up as a disaster like last year.

[Omi]

Why does grassroots community organizing have to conflict forcefull action against the festival? I think they pretty much go hand in hand in my book when organized properly.:)

[Patchd]

Is getting people onto the site a good tactic?

How about campaigning in the town? Getting a real grassroots campaign out. Show the BNP that no-one in the town wants them there.

h0m0revolutionary did state:

"they asked the police for a marching route, were declined so compromised on a march route that was at a different location to where the main organising group (Notts Against the BNP) had already had cleared."

Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP is a local grassroots movement against the BNP and their actions around the area, as stated in this description:

"Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP is an organisation committed to fighting fascism. We are not dominated by any one political party, and believe in a grassroots response to the threat that organisations such as the British National Party pose. We have established local campaigns, run stalls and organised meetings in many towns and villages in Nottinghamshire over the last year."

This year, due to the Euro elections, and the increased publicity that the BNP has received, there may well be more people turning up.

[nuisance]

How about campaigning in the town? Getting a real grassroots campaign out. Show the BNP that no-one in the town wants them there.
Surprisingly the BNP aren't being welcomed back with open arms and the event has had quite a bit of opposition from the people there. However, the RWB still appears to be going ahead there again- that's what you get for it being held on private land.



Personally I think that would do a lot more than getting 20 or 30 people kicked off the site.
Threats of militant action and breaching security will mean that more expenses will be spent on protecting the future RWBs aswell as deterring people from going in the first place.



Imagine a huge protest in the town itself on the first day of the RWB with shops all putting up signs saying "No BNP served here".
Sounds like a sure-fire way of getting your windows kicked in by a bunch of pissed up lads. Also, if you weren't aware, their was a demo in the town last year. Yes, UAF split it but so what, what else could it of done?



Probably have a much greater effect on the BNP morale than bussing in a few hundred uni students who proceed to chant "Nazi scum off our streets" to the general bemusement of locals.
The locals could have participated in the demo aswell.

[Sam_b]

they asked the police for a marching route, were declined so compromised on a march route that was at a different location to where the main organising group (Notts Against the BNP) had already had cleared

Awesome. So its a bad thing for STW to have march routes cleared by the police because its 'conspiring with the state', yet its perfectly okay to support one in an analogy against the UAF?

UAF had planned this march for weeks, everbody knew it.

[ls]

Awesome. So its a bad thing for STW to have march routes cleared by the police

Without a hint of doubt.


UAF had planned this march for weeks, everbody knew it.

Planning everything years ahead in great detail is a perfect way to get penned in upon arrival. Even better if you organise it for yourselves to get voluntarily penned in upon arrival.

[The Ungovernable Farce]

Awesome. So its a bad thing for STW to have march routes cleared by the police because its 'conspiring with the state', yet its perfectly okay to support one in an analogy against the UAF?

UAF had planned this march for weeks, everbody knew it.
And the grassroots campaign had planned it for months, and everyone knew that. AFAIK, (sorry, don't have a source, since this comes from conversations with members of the group) Notts Stop the BNP originally refused to have the march route cleared by the police, and only agreed to it after UAF had stabbed them in the back.

[Melbourne Lefty]

Sounds like a sure-fire way of getting your windows kicked in by a bunch of pissed up lads. Also, if you weren't aware, their was a demo in the town last year. Yes, UAF split it but so what, what else could it of done?


I didnt know, sounds like a good idea.



Threats of militant action and breaching security will mean that more expenses will be spent on protecting the future RWBs aswell as deterring people from going in the first place.


True.


Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP is a local grassroots movement against the BNP and their actions around the area,

Sorry, all I heard about last time was the UAF stuff.

Going out and getting the locals involve sounds like the best idea.

[An archist]

Imagine a huge protest in the town itself on the first day of the RWB with shops all putting up signs saying "No BNP served here".

Probably have a much greater effect on the BNP morale than bussing in a few hundred uni students who proceed to chant "Nazi scum off our streets" to the general bemusement of locals.


Last year, a whole group of extreme right-wing parties from Europe held an anti-islamisation congress in Cologne in Germany and I remember a lot of bars had put up signs that said "No beer for nazi's" Also, several cab and bus drivers refused to transport anyone going to the congress.
At the same time there was a huge coalition protesting against the congress, ranging from anarchist radicals to trade unions and christian democrats.
So yeah, that could be a good idea.

[Pogue]

I think essentially we need a large grassroots campaign in the area to make it hard for them, i.e. people refusing to transport or serve them like in Cologne, and then as many dedicated and serious anti-fascists ready to oppose this festival when it actually takes place.

[MilitantAnarchist]

what i think should be done would be edited from this thread....
but apart from that, mass protest. if we could get hundreds there, it could be done... any students need to get on to student groups and arrange a coach down there, bands need to have benefit gigs for anifa (if i remember correctly last year antifa got a mini-bus to pick people up to get there) and just fucking stop it...
Just heard on news so far BNP have one seat in preston i think... well up north somewhere :p

[StalinFanboy]

Why does grassroots community organizing have to conflict forcefull action against the festival? I think they pretty much go hand in hand in my book when organized properly.:)
This.

I would like to see comrades in the UK engaging in a strong mix of community organization and physical confrontation.

[Pogue]

This.

I would like to see comrades in the UK engaging in a strong mix of community organization and physical confrontation.

This is what we desperately want to do, and what I'd say pretty much every serious anarchist in the UK at the moment is pushing towards. Its clearly the best, if not only combination which will beat them. Unforuntately we lack numbers and influence at the moment to get this off the ground, but we are trying.

[Omi]

You don't need that much ''numbers'' or whatever. We don't have that much numbers either in Holland, but we are gaining successes in creating movement among locals who face a nazi demonstration in their town.

Heres are some pictures of a big counter action with locals and antifa against a nazi demonstration in Zwolle last year:

http://www.weblogzwolle.nl/images/stories/politie/tegendemo_1.jpg

http://www.weblogzwolle.nl/images/stories/politie/tegendemo_2.jpg

http://www.weblogzwolle.nl/images/stories/tijdelijke%20map3/tiesvdheide%2018.jpg


The key, simply put, is to actually get off your arse and do something, flyer every home in the neighboorhood, engage in conversation with the locals, ask them how they feel about it and how they want to deal with it. Not just calling for actions within the regular activist milieu.

[rednordman]

Why do they insist on having that stupid festival near derby anyway? No one wants it there. Whether or not they agree or disagree with the BNPs politics, they know the trouble it rightfully brings. Take it somewhere else. I do not live too far from this area, it make the locals seem like british rednecks for tolerating it. And that notion is far from the truth.

[teenagebricks]

This could be said for just about anywhere in country, wherever the BNP go they face opposition, and having it in a metropolitan area would probably spark some riot which the police definitely do not want.

[K.Bullstreet]

Yeah, it's a fairly good location for it from their perspective I guess. In the countryside and a big open space (not a Metropolitan area like Teenagebricks said), it's situated fairly centrally and with good transport connection so they can get their rabble in from around the country, and they have a friendly land-owning member willing to have Nicky G over for tea.

Of course, all of those things can also work to our advantage :thumbup1:.

Like has been said earlier in the thread, firm, local opposition is what is needed most! The mistakes of last years (which there were a lot of!) need to be avoided. Local grassroots groups run the show, it is their show afterall! And everybody needs to stay away from groups like the UAF who just stab everybody in the back, and pander to the police constantly, resulting in the most ineffective forms of protest being used.

Organisation is the key, possibly the slip up of a certain bunch last year. I will say no more :D.