Stop the BNP’s RWB Festival 2008

Conference report and further actions against the BNP

A number of decisions were taken at the regional meeting that took place in Nottingham on January 19th called by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and sponsored by a number of trade unions and campaigning organisations in the Notts area and elsewhere in the East Midlands. The meeting, attended by over 100 people with significant representations from the FBU and other unions from Lincoln, Loughborough, Leicester and even Gloucester, decided:

To call for a major mobilisation against any attempt to repeat the 2007 BNP Red, White and Blue festival in the Region including demanding that councils block permission for any repetition of this event; calling on trade unions to refuse to do any work that might facilitate the BNP event calling on thousands of local people to join the campaign in filling the surrounding area in mass protest should any such event take place in 2008.

To continue to organise against BNP events as the Notts Stop the BNP campaign had done in October when it peacefully blockaded a meeting of the BNP that was to be addressed by their party leader Nick Griffin, thereby preventing it going ahead.

To extend the campaigning begun by organisations such as Notts Stop the BNP in the towns and villages of the region. It was considered that that campaigning must deal not only against the BNP's racist policies but also encourage local communities to address the causes of the BNP's growth: the political frustrations with the government that exists in working class communities because of failures to address inequalities in education, housing and health-care provision the scapegoating of immigrant and minority communities that much of the press and the major political parties are complicit with. The campaign also noted a split in the BNP which had led to many leading BNP figures locally, including Broxtowe councillor Sadie Graham, leaving the BNP and setting about forming their own party. It was noted that this new party looked as though it was going to be essentially the same as the BNP with the same racist policies, the same connection with individuals and organisations promoting race hate and having Nazi histories. The meeting decided it would deal with this new ‘party’ in the same way as it does the BNP.

A mass leafleting of Brinsley by over 20 activists on the next day followed. This informed local residents of the
Nazi allegations being made by each side of the current internal BNP civil war and called on Brinsley people to demand the resignation of councillor Graham. Great pleasure was taken in delivering a copy of the leaflet directly to Sadie Graham’s door to the anger of a group of burly men who came out of the door but decided to take no action against the large group of anti-fascist leafletters.

There will be a meeting of the campaign on Thursday, 24th Jan to consider the way forward. The venue will be announced tomorrow if you require information please get back to this email address: nottmstopbnp@yahoo.co.uk. Extensive activity is expected on Sunday, 27th Jan. All supporters are asked to trying to help out on the day. More later...