Organising against RWB

[Holden Caulfield]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XLxL5xIl-m8/Sj8Z2tWGJEI/AAAAAAAACHU/gSzrpeJvM-w/s320/stbnprwbf_cropped-logo2.jpg (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XLxL5xIl-m8/Sj8Z2tWGJEI/AAAAAAAACHU/gSzrpeJvM-w/s1600-h/stbnprwbf_cropped-logo2.jpg)


Representatives of the Amber Valley and Derby Campaigns Against Racism and Fascism and Notts Stop the BNP campaign met in Heanor, Derbyshire on Saturday, June 20th to discuss plan for the protest against the BNP’s Red, White and Blue festival this year, 2009.

The meeting agreed to organise a protest again this year’s BNP festival on August 15th convening in Codnor Market Place. The protest will begin with as many local activists as possible assembling from 9 am. We expect contingents to arrive from elsewhere in the country leading up to a National Rally at 11 am with a demonstration to follow that.


The meeting agreed that the the objectives of the protest against the BNP’s RWB festival will be:

to bring together those who oppose the BNP in a peaceful and unified show of mass opposition to this major national event of theirs;
to make clear to participants in the BNP event that they are not welcome in attempting to use Amber Valley as a base for their activities;
to attempt to make our protest seen by as many as possible of those thinking of attending the festival;
to encourage opponents of the BNP in the Amber Valley district and wider area to continue to campaign against the divisive policies of the BNP and the violent activities of their members;
to safeguard as much as possible the safety of those protesting.
Representatives from all of the campaigns planning the protest will be meeting on a weekly basis from now on up until the event itself. A number of organisations, such as UAF and Hope not Hate, had to send their apologies. It is hoped that they, along with sponsors of the event last year, will be able to attend the next major planning meeting planned for July 18th in the centre of Nottingham. The details of this will be sent to last year’s sponsoring organisations and posted on this website soon.

This website (http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/) will again be used to keep people informed of this protest as well as other campaigning activity in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area. For further information please contact the email address associated with this website nobnpfestival at riseup.net

Stop the BNP’s Red White and Blue Festival (http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/anti-rwb-protest-2009-planned/)

I'll post on other groups RWB responses as I come across them

[welshboy]

Nice one, any chance we can get word from UAF members here that they aren't going to intentionally scupper this years demo and play into the hands of the Fash in a desperate attempt to gain political points?

[Trystan]

Hijack the field (it's an outdoor thing, right?) and use the cow pat to make a giant Union Jack.

[Melbourne Lefty]

sounds like good work is being had.

Whats going to be done to make sure the UAF egg-throwing-militants dont just waltz in and take over the whole thing like last time?

[teenagebricks]

They will take over, I don't want to sound like a pessimist but I really can't see it not happening. I don't think it is a question how they can be stopped, I think it is a question of how best to minimise the damage they can do.

[Sasha]

I think it is a question of how best to minimise the damage they can do.

start by handing out eggs, then proceed too botles, then bricks, then....
if they refuse to throw them say that its an order from the CC.

[Melbourne Lefty]

So the UAF will show up with its university student rent a mob and drown out the locals?

Mmmmm... not really cool.

[spiney norman]

I don't think there's much chance of UAF representatives attending the meeting on 18 July, given that their National Conference is going to be held in Manchester on that day (and was organised months ago, before anyone claims that they have clashed the dates on purpose).

[nuisance]

So the UAF will show up with its university student rent a mob and drown out the locals?

Mmmmm... not really cool.
An event the size of the RWB needs more opposition than the small village can muster. The RWB is the BNPs national doo, I see no problem with a national response to attempt to scupper their plans. Ideally local communities will be able to combat all fascist presence in their area, unfortunatly that isn't happening at the moment.
This isn't a post supports UAF, by any means.

[welshboy]

thing is though unless any organisation against the RWB allows folk who actually live in the vicinity to take a lead then they will just become alienated to the anti-fa's as much as to the BNP.

[nuisance]

thing is though unless any organisation against the RWB allows folk who actually live in the vicinity to take a lead then they will just become alienated to the anti-fa's as much as to the BNP.
Of course the main demonstration should be coordinated by/have strong involvment with local residents. I may have got the wrong end of the stick and percieved that ML was critiquing national mobilisations for outnumbering the more localised protestors. However autonomous militant action shouldn't be restricted.

[redSHARP]

i dont understand UAF? who are they exactly?

[Melbourne Lefty]

I may have got the wrong end of the stick and percieved that ML was critiquing national mobilisations for outnumbering the more localised protestors.


I dont think anyone has a problem with outsiders outnumbering the best that a sparsely population region can muster.

My real issue is how to get the local community actively involved as much as possible.

And correct me If I am wrong, but the UAF didnt really do that last time.

[Holden Caulfield]

And correct me If I am wrong, but the UAF didnt really do that last time.


They did not, lets hope they learn from their mistake and listen to the truck loads of criticism that act earned them last year.

[Holden Caulfield]

Demonstrate against the Nazi BNP’s ‘Red, White and Blue’ festival of hate on 15 August

The fascist British National Party is holding its annual "Red, White and Blue" rally in Codnor, Derbyshire, this year. The Nazis will be using its festival of hate to try and build its organisation following the European election results.

Unite Against Fascism is calling a national mobilisation against the BNP rally in Codnor on Saturday 15 August. UAF will work with local anti-fascists groups that are also organising protests against the BNP's presence in the area.

UAF supporters around the country should book coaches and start building for the demo right away. We want as many anti-fascists as possible to be in Codnor at 9am. The BNP Nazis want to make their rally this year a "victory celebration". We need to be there in large numbers to represent the majority that hates their politics of bigotry, race hatred and fascism.

UAF (http://www.uaf.org.uk/)

[The Ungovernable Farce]

i dont understand UAF? who are they exactly?
Unite Against Fascism. You can find them discussed in most threads on this forum...basically, they're a SWP front group that believe that you need to recruit mainstream politicians to the anti-fascist movement, despite the fact that people are voting BNP out of disgust with those same mainstream politicians in the first place. And, of course, this then means that they can't make any arguments that might offend the mainstream politicians they want to recruit.

[Melbourne Lefty]

UAF will work with local anti-fascists groups that are also organising protests against the BNP's presence in the area.

Sounds promising.

We shall see what happens.


they're a SWP front group that believe that you need to recruit mainstream politicians to the anti-fascist movement, despite the fact that people are voting BNP out of disgust with those same mainstream politicians in the first place.

Very good summing up.


And, of course, this then means that they can't make any arguments that might offend the mainstream politicians they want to recruit.

It seems that mainstream politicians are in favour of the BNP being hit by eggs then.....:lol:

Maybe they aint ALL bad...:lol: