Hope not Hate update: Day nine

This was the big one. A staggering 221 people delivered over 45,000 newspapers in the BNP's strongest area outside Barking & Dagenham. It was a truly inspiring day and an excellent start to the election campaign.

The Sandwell anti-BNP day of action might have been scheduled for Sunday 1 April but the work for this event had begun much earlier in the week. Over the last few days teams of activists had been bagging up the 50,000 newspapers into street walks, preparing food and information sheets. When we arrived at the African-Caribbean Resource Centre in West Bromwich we were greeted by the fruits of this work. Ten tables had been laid out, each containing newspapers for a specific ward. Everyone was signed in and a minibus ferried people across the borough.

It was a model of organisation.

The Mirror's Hope not Hate bus arrived at the centre at 10.15, a quarter of an hour before the day was advertised to start. However, by now, 61 people had already arrived and were off out leafleting. The All Nations Steel band, from the Albion estate in West Bromwich, set up in the hall and created a great atmosphere as more people poured in.

The bus moved off to the Great Bridge market where the steel band and Billy Bragg performed to shoppers while other people distributed newspapers. Several shoppers remarked that they had already received the newspaper through the door that morning. It was good to know that people were at least registering our material.

We knew the BNP would not be happy with our newspaper. While all our other editions carried a positive front page the people in Sandwell decided to have a more aggressive approach. 'Gangland Sandwell – what is the BNP councillor hiding' was the frontpage headline. The story went on to explain how the leader of the BNP council group, Jamie Lloyd, had his pub closed after a series of violent incidents, including a shooting and a machete attack, yet he refused to cooperate with the police, even withholding vital CCTV footage. What was more strange was that Lloyd had been the target of these attacks.

As the band played in the market the BNP began to arrive. First two women, then a 4x4 full of blokes. They sneered and stared, paraded their dogs and glared, but there was simply nothing they could do.

Back at the centre food was being served. Unfortunately the vegetarian chilli had been forgotten, which caused a bit of consternation amongst the vegetarians who were offered a plate of salad. However, Gurinder, a long-time friend of Searchlight, came to the rescue, ringing around the local Sikh temples and restaurants and soon pan loads of vegetable curry appeared.

Over 100 people went out for a second leafleting session and soon we were able to dismantle the tables. It was a great feeling seeing the huge piles of stuffed plastic bags disappear. To round off the day the Steel Band performed again and then Billy Bragg, who had been out leafleting twice, did a turn. The audience was fired up and dozens of people offered their help for the forthcoming campaign.

It is days like these that make all the hard work worthwhile.

Hope not Hate

GMB activists join campaign to defeat BNP in forthcoming local elections in Sandwell

Election campaign against BNP in Sandwell part of a co-coordinated push nationally to defeat racism and fascism on our streets and council chambers as Hope not Hate Big Red Bus prepares to visit Manchester, Keighley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Leeds, the set of Emmerdale Farm, Newcastle, Sunderland and Glasgow.

Well over 200 people from three political parties, ten trade unions, MP's, including John Cruddas MP for Dagenham who is standing in the Deputy leadership contest, local councillors, and many others helped deliver over 45,000 tabloid newspapers to the local community in Sandwell yesterday 1st April 2007, along with leaflets promoting Hope over the politics of division and hatred of the BNP.

Over 40 GMB members took part in this activity, some for the first time. These members also helped deliver en mass thousands of Searchlight newspapers in the afternoon with Billy Bragg to every local household next to the BNP former stronghold The Lagoon pub in the Princess End, which until recently was run by Jamie Lloyd the local BNP councillor.

The event was part of the Hope not Hate tour that is currently touring the country in the big red bus celebrating modern Britain. This features entertainment by the local all nations steel band and the legendary folk singer and committed anti racist Billy Bragg. Hope not Hate Big Red Bus now prepares to visit Manchester, Keighley, Bradford & Dewsbury, Leeds & the set of Emmerdale Farm, Newcastle & Sunderland and Glasgow (see notes to editors for dates).

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer said: "GMB was proud and privileged to have helped and be a part of organising a hugely successful anti fascist - anti racist day of action, in Sandwell. Our members were accompanied by the Hope Not Hate big red bus, 45,000 tabloid newspapers were delivered in record time, by 2pm. A free show by the All Nations Steel Band was put on for the shoppers in the Market and at ASDA in West Bromwich, where again over three thousand newspapers, leaflets, balloons and badges were given out.

Leaflets were delivered to households near the BNP former stronghold, The Lagoon pub, which until recently was run by Jamie Lloyd the local BNP councilor. This was recently closed down on the advice of the police after many violent attacks took place there. Apparently Mr. Lloyd who was running the pub at the time refused to hand over CCTV evidence of these attacks in which it is alleged there was a shooting and in a separate

incident a machete attack. In their submission to the councils licensing committee the police concluded: "That Lloyd had little or no concern for the safety of his customers in general". Which raises further questions over the BNP claims to be a party of law and order.

The Lloyd family is no stranger to violence, Lloyd's sons have been continually in trouble with the police, and one is currently in prison serving a three year term. "

GMB