March 04, 2008

Stop the Red, White and Blue Festival 2008

For too many years the BNP have enjoyed their annual Red, White and Blue festival without major opposition. They have usually kept the location secret for as long as possible but nevertheless have often brought numbers in their hundreds for a weekend of morale boosting, party-building and scarcely concealed, well-documented Nazi and fascist celebration.

This year we already know where the RWB festival is to be. Immediately after their festival in 2007, they announced it will be in the same location in Denby, which borders Nottingham and Derby and is only a few miles from the M1. This part of the East Midlands has been one of their prime areas of recent growth as well as having been a long established area of fascist activity and the birth place of the violent Combat 18.

Despite the still developing split in the BNP, they are insistent that their festival will go ahead. If it does then it will allow them to regroup, reorganise, fix and expand after the damage to them by their recent political in-fighting.

East Midland Anti-Fascists reorganise

Over the last year anti-fascists in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire have been working together to harass the BNP. Primarily this has been facilitated by the Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP campaign but it has also been supported by Derby UAF as well as a multitude of trade union organisations. All of these campaigns are determined to stop the RWB festival being a successful recruitment event for the BNP.

Already 150 people were mobilised in October, 2007 and physically blockaded and stopped a local BNP rally being held and addressed by Nick Griffin. In addition leaflets and stalls have been held in towns and villages where the BNP have been known to be particularly active.

Nottingham conference call for national mobilisation

A local anti BNP conference was called in Nottingham on Jan 19th and attended by 100 people. The conference was sponsored by many trade unions in the region including the FBU, UCU, UNISON and NUT.

Delegates called for a mass protest against the BNP festival; demanded that councils block permission for the event and asked trade unionists as far as possible to refuse to do any work that might help facilitate the BNP event; and for thousands of people including trade unionists and anti-fascists throughout the country to join us in filling the surrounding area in mass protest.

The BNP festival is still going ahead. We call on all local and national anti-racist campaigns and bodies opposed to the BNP to support the call of the Nottingham conference.

Please raise support for this mobilisation within your organisation. Contact us by emailing nobnpfestival@riseup.net. Watch for news on the plans for this mobilisation at http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com

The leaflet (above) can be downloaded by clicking here.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good to see some organisation going on against this nazi revel.

Anonymous said...

'Ban BNP festival' say firemen

The British National Party "festival" at Denby in Derbyshire should be banned, according to the Fire Brigades Union.

The FBU East Midlands executive member, Dave Green, has appealed to Amber Valley Borough Council to reverse its decision to allow a drink and entertainments license for the event.

The 'Red, White and Blue' event is planned for the weekend of August 4 and 5, on land owned by BNP member and Denby parish councillor Alan Warner. Other Denby residents have protested, and so has the local MP, Judy Mallaber.

Mr Green said today: "The Fire Brigades Union is very concerned about the proposal to hold such an event in Derbyshire.

"We, along with many others, have tried hard in recent years to promote good relations between people of different races. That work could be undermined by the holding of a festival celebrating racist ideology.

"I hope Amber Valley Borough Council will think again and consider the impact on the local community."

Amber Valley Council chief executive of the council, Peter Carney said: "This was a finely balanced decision, made following thorough and careful consideration of all the issues involved.

"The Licensing Panel considered the representations from all interested parties, including the police, local residents and the applicant, to ensure that the application was dealt with in a fair and objective way, in accordance with all appropriate legislation."

The BNP's press officer, Dr Phil Edwards, said that the festival was held as "a celebration of the culture of white Europeans".

He said: "Because the BNP are so disliked we have to be squeaky clean with events like this or the media will come down on us like a ton of bricks."

http://www.24dash.com/news/Local_Government/2007-07-30-Ban-BNP-festival-say-firemen

Anonymous said...

It would be fun to see Griffin and Collett face the music from a pissed-up bunch of angry Hitler worshippers pissed off with Cyclops, but it's better to get the thing banned, I guess.

Anonymous said...

If Collett and Hamman are about I suggest the locals lock up their teenage daughters.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you've the nazi troll post from Brighton Rock, sorry I mean Ends Justify Means.

Anonymous said...

The following is an extract from an article (‘Red, White and Blue Festival ends up Black and Blue’) about what goes on at the BNP’s RWB 'festival':

“It was as I was reflecting on this, that the South West Regional Organiser, Robert Baggs, introduced Mick Holmes, the Lincolnshire organiser. He appeared on stage to announce, proudly, that he was “a racist”.

In a speech that appeared at odds with the party’s new image, Holmes added: “Every problem in this country is down to race.” He blamed blacks for all crime, Asians for “breeding like rabbits” and when he came to Africans with Aids, he simply said: “Let them die.””

More extracts from the above article to follow. Not exactly the type of BNP ‘family’ festival you want in your area.

http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=33

http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

Even if it was a troll post which it probably was, would you want to risk your kid at one of these events. It was only last year that that fuckwit Mark Collett knocked someones kid over while running away after he'd whacked Andrew Spence around the head.
http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/2007/08/truth-about-spence-and-rwb-punch-up.html

Anonymous said...

More extracts from the article, ‘Red, White and Blue Festival ends up Black and Blue’, on what goes on at the BNP’s RWB festival:

"The evening’s entertainment was led by former C18 man Stephen Calladine, better known by his nickname, “Stigger”. He is normally joined by the Scottish band Nemesis but lead singer John Cartwright had decided to perform at the Rudolph Hess march in Germany instead".

More extracts from the above article to follow. Not exactly the type of ‘family’ festival you want in your area.

http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=33

http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/

Anonymous said...

Final extract from the article, ‘Red, White and Blue Festival ends up Black and Blue’, on what goes on at the BNP’s RWB festival:

“Luke Smith had returned in apologetic mood but this was soon forgotten as he and several other young Burnley hooligans started drinking. As the evening wore on, their mood got rowdier. In between bursts of chanting and laughter, there was also abuse directed at the party leadership and, in particular, towards Nick Griffin.

There has long been tension between Burnley BNP and the leadership. Recently this was reflected in strong support for the former party leader, John Tyndall, during his recent expulsion.

A drunken Smith was revelling in the attention he was getting. “Do you know who I am?” he shouted at one BNP supporter who asked him to keep his voice down. “I’m a councillor, you know”.

Security eventually moved in. Martin Reynolds, the Leeds BNP organiser, and part of the security team, moved in to usher Smith away. An argument broke out as Smith refused to go. Words were exchanged and Reynolds hit Smith’s friend in the face, instantly splitting the man’s nose and drawing blood.

Everyone in the beer tent turned to watch the show.

Smith’s friends rose to give him their support. Other stewards came in and a bigger fight broke out. Three or four Burnley hooligans went for Reynolds. He was forced down and that’s when Smith lifted his Stella bottle. In one swift move he brought it crashing down into Reynolds’ left eye, instantly opening up a nasty gash.

Another Burnley hooligan was less successful. He was on the receiving end of a three punch combination by Leeds hooligan Tony McDonnell and was knocked unconscious.

Reynolds was eventually taken to Leeds Royal Infirmary where he received seven stitches for his cut.

The mood in the beer tent had now changed. The amusement at the fight turned to amazement and shock. A BNP councillor had driven a bottle into the face of another BNP organiser”.

Says it all about the BNP and its RWB drink fest. I’m off to lunch.

http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=33

http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/

No Platform said...

I'm going to go so I can hold down Dave Howard and give him a Turkey Slap.

Anonymous said...

Is fat Sid going because I'd like to piss on him!

Anonymous said...

To be honest, this festival causes more embarrasment to the bnp than if it doesn't go ahead. It's hard to believe there won't be problems with Mark Collett there. People are bound to confront him about the Blackpool hotel.

If it goes ahead, I hope Searchlight moles film the whole fiasco on video cameras and put it up on YouTube.

Anonymous said...

Believe me there are people going along with the sole purpose of seeing to Collett. There are angry fathers who will be speaking to him about the hotel incident and you can be assured the exchange of views will be frank.

Anonymous said...

Who let Simon Sheppard onto Lancaster UAF, allowing him to post such a nazi tirade, mentioning every nazi group under the sun?

What's happened with the modding, Ketlan?

Anonymous said...

"I've got news for you, the public by large have never heard of any of your groups, nor do most of the "despise" the BNP.
Party loyalty is the only thing keeping Labour and the Tories in and the BNP/NF/N9S/BPP out".

"You middle class twats are the minority here, with a bit of luck the BNP will take a que from your heroes books and slaughter the lot of you.
Sick bastards"
---------------------------------
Why the hell was twisted sick-in-the-head nazi (and Redwatch website owner) Simon Sheppard allowed to post this on Lancaster UAF?

Antifascist said...

'What's happened with the modding, Ketlan?'

I have no idea. I certainly wouldn't have allowed that rubbish through and I know damn well that Denise wouldn't. I'll look into it.