Anti-Fascist campaigners are alarmed by the gains made by the BNP
- so far they have 12 council seats in Barking and Dagenham 4 in Sandwell,
3 in Stoke-on-Trent, 3 in Epping Forest, 1 in Pendle, 1 in Broxbourne,
1 in Redditch and Solihull. With a few key results to be declared in the
morning.
The BNP has a total 25 councillors. England First have also won two seats
in Blackburn. When the BNP previously held one seat in Barking, racist attacks
went up by 18%.
Henry Guterman MBE, Holocaust Survivor said
“ The BNP have
made these gains simply by peddling racist lies –which must be challenged
and exposed. The BNP attempts to portray itself as a legitimate political
party when in fact they are a fascist organisation. In Nazi Germany fascism
shut down democracy and led to the Holocaust - the annihilation of millions
of Jewish people as well as Black, Lesbian and Gay, Disabled people, trade
unionists and others. The BNP is a racist organisation which targets Muslims
and Jews and all minority communities. These results are an insult to all
those who perished under the Nazis. The decent majority of people must support
democracy and see that this does not happen again.”
Sabby Dhalu Joint Secretary of Unite Against Fascism said:
“ This result
is a disaster for democracy. A neo-nazi organisation has become the official
opposition on Barking and Dagenham council and have made several gains around
the country. This should be a wake-up call for all major political parties – there
has never been a more important time for a united national campaign against
the BNP – a fascist organisation that peddles racist lies. When they
have elected previously, racist violence has soared.”
Weyman Bennett Joint Secretary of Unite Against Fascism said:
The election
of an open Nazi organisation as the official opposition in Barking is warning
to all of us. Just as Hitler singled out minorities to
blame for the economic crisis of the 1930s, the BNP want to scapegoat black
and Asian people for existing housing and economic failure in Barking and
Dagenham . We need now to bring about an enormous mobilisation of those that
are against fascism into a unified opposition. We need black white to unite
and fight against those who would usher the fascist politics of Hitler and
Mussolini into this century. Our slogan is ‘Never Again’.”