CONTACT LARAG

larag@talktalk.net

LARAG c/o NUT, Town Hall,
London SE6 4RU

6/5/09 News update

Leafleting is being organised across south east London stations and markets up until the June 4th elections, and especially over the weekend from Friday 29th May until Tuesday 2 June. If you can help us mobilise the anti-fascist majority in London please email larag@talktalk.net

25/2/09 The threat of the BNP in SE London and nationally into the June 2009 elections: some key facts

A successful campaign in Downham, in south-east Lewisham, meant that at the by-election on 19 February 2009 the BNP vote was pushed to 283 votes (just over 10% of those who voted, voted for them) which is down from a peak of 513 votes (nearly 20% of the electorate, in a late 2002 by election).

However the BNP threat is growing elsewhere, where more campaigning is needed — they came within 10 or so votes of being elected in a Bexley ward in January 2009 and on February 19th were elected with 41% in Swanley in Kent, turning over a safe Labour seat. At the Unite Against Fascism conference on 21/2/09, where hundreds of activists came from across the country, the threat of the BNP at the elections on June 4th in other parts of the UK, especially Yorkshire, the North West and the West Midlands was highlighted.

The UAF have produced an excellent pamphlet analysing the BNP’s growth across the country and identifying the priorities and challenges for anti-fascist campaigning learnt over the last few years. This can be ordered from UAF, and is also available from LARAG.

The conference discussed the impact of the recession on the BNP’s growth, the Love Music Hate Racism campaign, which is attracting young people, and the need to rebut the racist myths that the BNP build their support on.

Two recent publications are recommended which systematically analyse and challenge common myths and distortions and show their consequences:

"Sleepwalking to segregation? Challenging myths about race and migration" (order form)
by Nissa Finney and Ludi Simpson

"Muslims Under Siege: Alienating Vulnerable Communities" (read online)
by Peter Oborne and James Jones

25/1/09 LARAG says: Unite to Stop the fascist BNP in the run-up to the European Elections in June 2009

The British National Party will be standing in the Downham by-election on Thursday 19th February. As part of Unite Against Fascism, LARAG will be ensuring that the truth about the fascist BNP is delivered to all voters, so as to mobilise the majority opposed to their racism and hate-fuelled politics.

LARAG's next meeting on Tuesday 3rd February will plan our activities. Your help and support is needed, so please do at least one of the following:

1. Come to our next meeting — so we can plan activities together — email larag@talktalk.net for further details
2. Tell us which day/s you can help us leaflet, from midday onwards on either of the two weekends before the by-election (ie 7th or 8th or 14 or 15th February). Email larag@talktalk.net
3. Send a donation to Unite Against Fascism, which is leading this initiative and vital work needed to stop the BNP making further inroads in the European Elections in June this year.
4. Come to the Unite Against Fascism national conference on Saturday 21st February. LARAG will be sending a delegation. LARAG urges everyone who is opposed to the rise of racism and the fascist BNP to attend the Unite Against Fasscism conference on 21/2/09 (see leaflet on right) and get involved in Stop the BNP activities wherever they stand.

For evil to prosper all that is necessary is that people of good will do nothing

1/4/08 Last chance to Stop the Fascist BNP in London!

Little time is left to mobilise the vote to Stop the fascist BNP being elected on the Assembly.

Help urgently needed now and then up until May 1st. LARAG is prioritising all resources to stopping the BNP.

For info on local activities, or if you want to leaflet your local station, street, estate or local meeting (you can order leaflets from us), then just email laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk

Also we urge you to sign up to www.uaf.org.uk to see all events across London and be updated as new parts of the campaign are rolled out. Events are planned to commemorate the fascist bombings in Brixton, Brick lane and Soho and also to protest about the fascist BNP election broadcast. Get involved now!

15/02/08 Unite against fascism

LARAG urges people to attend the Unite Against Fascism National Conference in Central London on March 1st as the next step in the campaign to stop the fascist BNP in the May elections. More at the UAF website.

Our exhibition will be on display - see link opposite. LARAG is sending a delegation and will discuss the conference and its conclusions and what we can do locally at our next meeting in early March: email laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk for details.

15/02/08 LARAG Press Release:

Response to attack on newly opened Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford.

The Stephen Lawrence Centre is a fitting memorial to the racist murder of this young man and a permanent contribution following the determined efforts of his mother, Doreen Lawrence, ensuring that all members of community are given the opportunities that her son were denied.

We are therefore disgusted at the regular vandalism of the centre particularly the significant incident this week, showing the continued existence of racism, and the violence and criminal behaviour that accompanies these ignorant and hate-fuelled beliefs. These latest incidents (4 in total in the last week since the opening of the centre) remind us that the plaque commemorating Stephen on the spot where he was so brutally murdered was also repeatedly vandalised by racists over the years.

Doreen Lawrence fought an inspiring campaign over many years to get justice for her son. She changed policing in London for the better in the process. She was supported by many people and organisations in the process.

Sadly some people have not shown the same respect for her in her battle for justice.

So like the Mayor of London we condemn the vandalism and note that it also comes on the anniversary of the inquest that confirmed Stephen's death to be an unprovoked racist murder.

So racism must not be allowed to drop down the agenda. Especially with the fascist British National Party hoping to get elected on to the London Assembly in May this year. We must all use our votes to ensure racism is not given a voice and space in the forthcoming Mayoral and Assembly elections.

Mahmuda Kabir, Secretary Lewisham Anti-Racist Action Group
and Councillor Jarman Parmar, Chair LARAG

23/11/07 Free exhibition: Fighting fascism in London

New exhibition for Londoners produced by LARAG -
‘The fight goes on! 70 years of struggle against fascism in London.’

On October 27th, the Lewisham Anti-Racist Action Group launched a brand new exhibition: ‘The fight goes on! 70 years of struggle against fascism in London.’

See a slideshow of the exhibition here for more. You can also download a high-quality PDF for printing out ( please note that this is a very large 12MB file and will take a long time to download). Order the exhibition for free loan from: laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk

Using eye witness accounts and some rarely seen photos the exhibition documents three decisive occasions when Londoners have had to mobilise to defeat fascist parties threatening London, whether on the streets or through the ballot box. The exhibition covers the Battle of Cable Street 1936; the Battle for Lewisham 1977 and forthcoming the London elections 2008. Lessons from the past are accompanied by an up to date assessment of the fascist threat to London today, examining the campaign by Unite Against Fascism. There words of wisdom and inspiration from Holocaust survivors and celebrities from TV and music are used to speak out against the evil of fascist parties today and urging people to use their vote. The exhibition shows the important role the Jewish , black  and all other minority ethnic communities have played  in uniting  with all those wanting to defeat the scourge of fascism in our great city.

If you know of a local organisation that wants to exhibit it at a meeting etc email laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk.

Lewisham Anti-Racist Action Group (LARAG) is supporting:

LARAG is participating in and supporting following events:

• We meet monthly and at our next meeting will be discussing anti-fascist activity and our plans in the run-up to the May 2008 elections.

• We send regular emails to update those interested of developments: please write to laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk to get on the list
  

LARAG recent activities:

• We supported UAF campaigning in East London and also mobilising the vote against the National Front in Whitefoot ward in Lewisham: read press release.

• Love Music Hate Racism concert: Local activists and Young Mayor speak out! Love Music Hate Racism, supported by Lewisham Anti-Racist Action Group and Goldsmiths Student, put on a music event on Saturday 27 October, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the historic Battle of Lewisham - a decisive turning point in the fight against the Nazis. We also launched our exhibition, Fighting Fascism in London, (see link above).

LARAG future activities:

• Campaigning as part of Unite Against Fascism is our main priority - see uaf website forthcoming events.

• We are currently discussing initiatives to build the anti-fascist awarenesss in south east London in the coming months. We recommend the recent election briefing produced by UAF: see detailed analysis on web site. We urge all members to circulate this to local community groups, particularly union branches.

• We also recommend the new publication, 'Mythsbusters' about asylum seekers produced by NAAR and Unison.

• Book our exhibition "The fight goes on: 70 years of struggle against fascism in London".

LARAG is:

• a campaigning group of individuals from across south-east London

• working with others to campaign against racism in all its forms. We are the affiliated to the National Assembly Against Racism.

• campaigning against the fascist BNP, as part of the national campaign Unite Against Fascism.

• distributing thousands of leaflets warning people of the BNP’s fascist nature and the need for everyone to use their vote to ensure they do not get elected.

• working with others as unity in action is the most effective way to campaign for justice for all and stand up to hatred and intolerance.

So if you are in south east London join with us to speak out against racism:

• get on to our e-mail list to hear about news and local activities: email laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk

• come to our monthly meetings where we discuss the latest news and plan campaigning. Everyone welcome: we meet the first Tuesday of each month in the Town Hall, Catford. Email laraginfo@yahoo.co.uk for details.

Previous LARAG events: