Crowds gathered outside Corsham Town Hall last night to protest against BNP councillor Michael Simpkins taking up his rightful seat on the parish committee.
Residents clutching photos of black relatives and trade union members bearing banners shouted anti-BNP chants when Mr Simpkins arrived for the first full council meeting since the election.
Flanked by his close protection team, four BNP members dressed in black, the Rudloe councillor walked briskly through the protesters shouting something incomprehensible and disappeared into the council chamber. The chants of "Bad for you, bad for me, stop the racist BNP" followed him inside and the councillors around the table fell silent until the voices stopped.
As police officers outside looked on and the BNP bodyguards lingered inside the door, there was a clear and identifiable moment of stillness and reflection before chairman Allan Bosley called the meeting to a start.
Corsham residents Steph Cleverley, her 21-year-old son Kyle and their friend Gillian Fleming, came to protest against Mr Simpkins, who took his seat unopposed without winning any votes.
Mrs Fleming said: "Lots of people in Corsham think the way we feel but are afraid of the BNP. Everyone in this country is entitled to an opinion, including the BNP. We have lived here a long time and there has never been any problems. We have all lived together side by side in relative peace and I do not see why the BNP seeks to create divisions and hostility based upon a person's ethnicity."
Mrs Cleverley's grandfather Reginald Seymour Thornhill was one of the first generation of black people to move to Britain. She said: "We are proud of our history and heritage but simultaneously proud of our local community and place in the community of Corsham."
Mr Simpkins plans to work hard on the town council and represent the views of the people in his ward. He said: "There was no sense of animosity from my fellow councillors. The protesters were mainly from Bristol and they have a right to protest but why didn't they stand against me in the election? I was accompanied by a close protection team because there have been incidents in the past of lefties attacking BNP members in the street."
Asked whom he represented, Mr Simpkins said: "The BNP is a party for indigenous British people. Black, Asian, Chinese, Aborigine, Maori and Eskimo people cannot join."
Tim Lezard, who organised the protest, said: "Nobody voted for Mr Simpkins and therefore he does not represent anyone in Corsham. Local people have to stand up against fascists."
Gazette and Herald
Showing posts with label division. Show all posts
Showing posts with label division. Show all posts
May 15, 2007
April 07, 2007
Truth is clear - BNP just want to stir up hatred
by Gordon Brown
I want to congratulate Searchlight and the Daily Mirror for organising this fantastic Hope Not Hate nationwide tour.
Celebrities including the Sugababes, actors from Coronation Street and The Bill, Amir Khan and Corinne Bailey Rae have rallied to support the campaign and stand against the bigotry and racism of the BNP.
More important, thousands of people in towns and cities right across Britain have backed the campaign too.
Just a few days ago 50,000 Searchlight newsletters were delivered in Sandwell in the West Midlands Black Country. Another 20,000 were put through doors in Dudley a few days earlier.
The story has been the same across the country - ordinary people from all races and religions, from all ages and backgrounds, coming together to celebrate what's best about modern Britain and tell people the truth about the BNP. And that truth is clear. The BNP are not a mainstream political party but a group of extremists trying to stir up division and hatred in those communities they are targeting.
WE all know there are problems in Britain. Our country is not perfect and we've still got a lot of work to do but the BNP don't have the answers. The vast majority of the British people know that support for the BNP is completely incompatible with the true nature of Britishness and the great British values of democracy and decency, freedom and fairness, tolerance and equality that the rest of us stand for.
Where we want to unite our country around the great British beliefs we all share of liberty for all, responsibility by all and fairness to all, the BNP want to divide our communities on the basis of the colour of your skin, where you were born or what you look like. They oppose any racial integration and even mixed marriages. They want to create a country where ethnic minorities are second under the law. They believe that people should be given preference in the jobs and housing market, and even in choice of schools on the basis of the colour of their skin, regardless of their ability, talents or contribution.
That is not what the vast majority of British people believe. We don't care what you look like or what colour you are - if you work hard and do your best, you can be part of our community. That's what matters to me. We're in it together and we work for each other. To me, that's what's best about Britain. That's what living in Britain is all about. And May 3 gives us all the opportunity to speak up for the great British values we all share, to make a stand against the BNP, to vote for hope - not hate.
Mirror
I want to congratulate Searchlight and the Daily Mirror for organising this fantastic Hope Not Hate nationwide tour.Celebrities including the Sugababes, actors from Coronation Street and The Bill, Amir Khan and Corinne Bailey Rae have rallied to support the campaign and stand against the bigotry and racism of the BNP.
More important, thousands of people in towns and cities right across Britain have backed the campaign too.
Just a few days ago 50,000 Searchlight newsletters were delivered in Sandwell in the West Midlands Black Country. Another 20,000 were put through doors in Dudley a few days earlier.
The story has been the same across the country - ordinary people from all races and religions, from all ages and backgrounds, coming together to celebrate what's best about modern Britain and tell people the truth about the BNP. And that truth is clear. The BNP are not a mainstream political party but a group of extremists trying to stir up division and hatred in those communities they are targeting.
WE all know there are problems in Britain. Our country is not perfect and we've still got a lot of work to do but the BNP don't have the answers. The vast majority of the British people know that support for the BNP is completely incompatible with the true nature of Britishness and the great British values of democracy and decency, freedom and fairness, tolerance and equality that the rest of us stand for.
Where we want to unite our country around the great British beliefs we all share of liberty for all, responsibility by all and fairness to all, the BNP want to divide our communities on the basis of the colour of your skin, where you were born or what you look like. They oppose any racial integration and even mixed marriages. They want to create a country where ethnic minorities are second under the law. They believe that people should be given preference in the jobs and housing market, and even in choice of schools on the basis of the colour of their skin, regardless of their ability, talents or contribution.
That is not what the vast majority of British people believe. We don't care what you look like or what colour you are - if you work hard and do your best, you can be part of our community. That's what matters to me. We're in it together and we work for each other. To me, that's what's best about Britain. That's what living in Britain is all about. And May 3 gives us all the opportunity to speak up for the great British values we all share, to make a stand against the BNP, to vote for hope - not hate.
Mirror
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Daily Mirror,
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Searchlight
Celebrities, faith and community leaders call for a vote against fascism
BNP to contest record seats in May elections – celebrities, faith and community leaders call for a vote against fascism
Today, a coalition including Scottish author Iain Banks, Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, Ken Livingstone, trade unionists, faith groups and students spoke out against the threat of the fascist British National Party (BNP) at the May Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local council elections.
The coalition, co-ordinated by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) was responding to today’s announcement by the fascist BNP that it is standing a record number of candidates for the Scottish Parliament in May, and the close of nominations for the local council elections and Wales Assembly seats.
The BNP, which believes in an all-white Britain and admires Hitler, announced it is standing in the Scottish parliamentary elections, leaving it set to receive £670,000 in state funding. It may gain free party political broadcasts in both Scotland and Wales.
UAF’s public call to oppose the BNP launches a nationwide program of campaigning to stop the fascist party winning further elected positions. UAF’s campaign includes days of action - leafleting areas targetted by the BNP and awareness-raising to turn out the anti-fascist vote, gigs with high profile bands and rallies.
Ken Livingstone, Chair, Unite Against Fascism said: “If we want to protect democracy and our society from extremism then there is a duty on all of us to stop the BNP from becoming the equivalent of the fascists who now are embedded in mainstream European politics. The British National Party is the biggest extremist electoral threat in Britain. The tolerance of the British National Party’s racist agenda is paying grotesque dividends, with fascists being elected to local councils in many parts of the country, and at these elections voters have the chance to halt the fascists in their tracks. Only by voting in big numbers against the BNP can we be sure of driving the fascists out of elected office.”
Dr. Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "We are all mindful that the fascist BNP uses divisive tactics; scapegoating minority communities in order to spread hatred. They have branded Islam a wicked and vicious faith, whipping up hatred for electoral gain. The Muslim community is an integral part of British society - fascism is not. We are proud to join the diverse coalition of Unite Against Fascism to stand against fascism - we call on all Muslims, and fellow Britons everywhere, to register to vote by April 18th and use their vote on May 3rd."
Henry Guterman MBE, Holocaust Survivor says: “Having lost many members of my family in the Holocaust, I do not want to see a repetition of the Nazis systematic annihilation of many communities who spoke up against their evil policies. That is why I am determined to fight the BNP who are try to copy Hitler’s method of coming to power. Please follow me by using your democratic right to vote, as low turnout will benefit the BNP.”
Actor Rhys Ifans said: "To Nick Griffin and the BNP: The ethnic communities that you dare to vilify in Wales are speaking Welsh, feeling Welsh and forever be welcome in Wales. Let our immigrants stay and take your ignorance away. A Griffin is a badly drawn dragon".
Iain Banks, Author said: “The BNP are a bunch of desperate fascist losers. They have halitosis of the brain; their ideas stink”
Billy Hayes, General Secretary of Communication Workers Union said: “The trade union movement represents the diversity of Britain. It is criminal that fascists are allowed to masquerade as a political party in this election. The trade union movement will continue fighting to stop them infiltrating our ranks - we stand with asylum seekers, migrants, muslims and all those that are threatened by the BNP”
Gemma Tumelty, President of the National Union of Students said: "The BNP poses a threat to the diverse student community on our campuses. The BNP’s attempts to recruit students is very worrying and NUS is working with our members to resist this. NUS utterly rejects racism and fascism. Students can make the difference by registering to vote and using their votes in the forthcoming May elections. NUS maintains that all students have an interest in defeating fascism and urges that they harness their votes to ensure that BNP candidates are not elected. For its part NUS will continue to work with Unite Against Fascism to ensure that our movement pulls out all stops to halt the rise of the far right."
Weyman Bennet, Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism said: “It is a disgrace that the fascist BNP will be given hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers money, and free TV broadcasts to spread their dangerous message of race hate and division. We call on postal workers not to deliver the BNP's literature and BBC employees to pull the plugs on the BNP's broadcasts. For evil to prosper all that is necessary is that good people do nothing.”
UAF
Today, a coalition including Scottish author Iain Banks, Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, Ken Livingstone, trade unionists, faith groups and students spoke out against the threat of the fascist British National Party (BNP) at the May Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local council elections.
The coalition, co-ordinated by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) was responding to today’s announcement by the fascist BNP that it is standing a record number of candidates for the Scottish Parliament in May, and the close of nominations for the local council elections and Wales Assembly seats.
The BNP, which believes in an all-white Britain and admires Hitler, announced it is standing in the Scottish parliamentary elections, leaving it set to receive £670,000 in state funding. It may gain free party political broadcasts in both Scotland and Wales.
UAF’s public call to oppose the BNP launches a nationwide program of campaigning to stop the fascist party winning further elected positions. UAF’s campaign includes days of action - leafleting areas targetted by the BNP and awareness-raising to turn out the anti-fascist vote, gigs with high profile bands and rallies.
Ken Livingstone, Chair, Unite Against Fascism said: “If we want to protect democracy and our society from extremism then there is a duty on all of us to stop the BNP from becoming the equivalent of the fascists who now are embedded in mainstream European politics. The British National Party is the biggest extremist electoral threat in Britain. The tolerance of the British National Party’s racist agenda is paying grotesque dividends, with fascists being elected to local councils in many parts of the country, and at these elections voters have the chance to halt the fascists in their tracks. Only by voting in big numbers against the BNP can we be sure of driving the fascists out of elected office.”
Dr. Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "We are all mindful that the fascist BNP uses divisive tactics; scapegoating minority communities in order to spread hatred. They have branded Islam a wicked and vicious faith, whipping up hatred for electoral gain. The Muslim community is an integral part of British society - fascism is not. We are proud to join the diverse coalition of Unite Against Fascism to stand against fascism - we call on all Muslims, and fellow Britons everywhere, to register to vote by April 18th and use their vote on May 3rd."
Henry Guterman MBE, Holocaust Survivor says: “Having lost many members of my family in the Holocaust, I do not want to see a repetition of the Nazis systematic annihilation of many communities who spoke up against their evil policies. That is why I am determined to fight the BNP who are try to copy Hitler’s method of coming to power. Please follow me by using your democratic right to vote, as low turnout will benefit the BNP.”
Actor Rhys Ifans said: "To Nick Griffin and the BNP: The ethnic communities that you dare to vilify in Wales are speaking Welsh, feeling Welsh and forever be welcome in Wales. Let our immigrants stay and take your ignorance away. A Griffin is a badly drawn dragon".
Iain Banks, Author said: “The BNP are a bunch of desperate fascist losers. They have halitosis of the brain; their ideas stink”
Billy Hayes, General Secretary of Communication Workers Union said: “The trade union movement represents the diversity of Britain. It is criminal that fascists are allowed to masquerade as a political party in this election. The trade union movement will continue fighting to stop them infiltrating our ranks - we stand with asylum seekers, migrants, muslims and all those that are threatened by the BNP”
Gemma Tumelty, President of the National Union of Students said: "The BNP poses a threat to the diverse student community on our campuses. The BNP’s attempts to recruit students is very worrying and NUS is working with our members to resist this. NUS utterly rejects racism and fascism. Students can make the difference by registering to vote and using their votes in the forthcoming May elections. NUS maintains that all students have an interest in defeating fascism and urges that they harness their votes to ensure that BNP candidates are not elected. For its part NUS will continue to work with Unite Against Fascism to ensure that our movement pulls out all stops to halt the rise of the far right."
Weyman Bennet, Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism said: “It is a disgrace that the fascist BNP will be given hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers money, and free TV broadcasts to spread their dangerous message of race hate and division. We call on postal workers not to deliver the BNP's literature and BBC employees to pull the plugs on the BNP's broadcasts. For evil to prosper all that is necessary is that good people do nothing.”
UAF
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