Following this year's Rise: London United anti-racist festival in Finsbury Park, London Mayor Ken Livingstone said:
'Today's Rise: London United was the best one yet. I walked around Finsbury Park this afternoon. It was packed with people from all backgrounds and all communities, who were having a great day out as well as showing their support for the diversity of this great city. We still have work to do to eradicate racism, but over 100,000 have today shown they are not prepared to tolerate it in London.'
Rise: London United is a free, one-day festival to oppose racism and celebrate London's diversity, organised by the Mayor of London in partnership with the National Assembly Against Racism and TUC South East Region (SERTUC). It has the support of UNISON, Canary Wharf, ITV London, London Development Agency and Transport for London.
This year the festival included performances by Graham Coxon, Common, Buzzcocks, reggae icons The Wailers, celebrated jazz man Roy Ayers, acclaimed London five piece The Duke Spirit, plus Killa Kela. Reflecting the wide range of music from around the world that is to be heard in the capital, there were different music stages that feature Latin American, urban, African and Asian music, as well as music and dance with roots in cultures from Turkey to Morocco.
Comedy on the day included the BBC's 3 Non Blonde's Ninia Benjamin, Shazia
Mirza, Nathan Caton and Kojo. There was also a children's play area, fair
ground, food and drink, exhibitions and arts and crafts.
The festival featured performances from this year's Poetry Slam winners.
The Poetry Society and the Mayor of London called on all young performance
poets, rappers and emcees across the boroughs of London aged between 12 and
18 years old to take part in the fifth Rise: London United London wide youth
slam, where they used their verbal skills highlight life in the capital
Rise Week preceded the festival, with a range of events and activities across London that celebrate the capital's diversity and oppose racism. Included in the week are a wide variety of events in boroughs, galleries, theatres, museums, music venues, arts and community centres, parks and public spaces, all of which reflect the vibrant multi-cultural nature of the city.
Rise: London United also featured the Mayor of London's Capture London's Diversity photo competition 2006, which is an opportunity for photographers of all ages, non professional and professional, to give their personal take on London's diversity. The competition closed on 2 June and there will be a public display of winning entries in an outdoor exhibition on Trafalgar Square, an exhibition at City Hall, and at the Rise: London United festival. Work will also be put on the festival website.