Say
NO to racism and fascism in Barking and Dagenham,
Wednesday 11 October
2006, 5.30pm onwards
Protest outside the Barking & Dagenham council meeting
at
Barking Town Hall, Clockhouse Avenue, IG11 7LU
Nearest train/tube: Barking
A veteran of the battle of Cable Street, which stopped
Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists marching through the East End will
be joining a
protest
outside the full council meeting at Barking Town Hall against the 12 fascist
BNP councillors in Barking and Dagenham.
Max Levitas, an Irish-Jewish former local councillor in the East End was involved in the battle of Cable Street and took part in commemorations of the event this week. The British National Party (BNP) gained an unprecedented 12 councillors in May's local elections, having spread racist lies about the African communities in the area, alleging that the Africans are given grants to buy houses in the area.
The event will also be addressed by Deputy Mayor Nicky Gavron, London Assembly Member Murad Qureshi, a local vicar as well as trade unionists, anti-racist and anti-fascist activists.
Racist attacks in the area have increased since the BNP has been targeting the borough - when they last held one council seat in the area, attacks went up by 18%. Since their election in May, there have been several very serious racist attacks.
Max Levitas said: "The battle of Cable Street taught us a very valuable lesson. If you do not struggle against racism, racism will grow. Racism in this country is growing and we have to organise against it to end racism in councils, Parliament and anywhere else. We have to organise to stop fascism and ensure that we stop fascist councillors in Barking and Dagenham."
Nicky Gavron, Deputy Mayor of London said: "I am proud to support the protest outside Barking and Dagenham Town Hall and show my complete solidarity with local people who oppose the BNP. The Mayor and I have always been totally committed to fighting racism and fascism - it has no place in London, Britain or anywhere else in the world. As the Deputy Mayor of London and a London Assembly Member I will be working very hard to stop the BNP gaining any more council seats in London or in the London Assembly in 2008. We must not let the fascists win".
Emmanuel, representative of the Barking & Dagenham Alliance Against Racism & Fascism said: "The anniversary of the battle of Cable Street provides a timely reminder of the threat posed by fascism, spreading race-hatred, but also that it can be defeated where people from diverse communities unite to fight a common enemy. The fact that fascism is now gaining ground in elections is an insult to the efforts of all those who fought the Blackshirts in Cable Street and those who fought against Hitler's Nazis, Franco in Spain and all fascists. We believe that the BNP should be condemned to the dustbin of history, just as the Blackshirts were. We must not allow fascists to scapegoat any community. The BNP targets the African, Asian and Muslim communities in the same way that the Blackshirts targeted the Jewish and Irish communities. We are proud that communities are coming together in Barking and Dagenham - they did not pass on Cable Street, they shall not succeed in Barking and Dagenham."
John Cruddas MP said: "I support the protest tomorrow. Showing opposition to the BNP in Barking and Dagenham is crucial. With 12 BNP councillors in the borough there is a danger that they could become normalised and perceived to be a legitimate political party. They are of course a fascist and racist organisation and must be utterly condemned."
Margaret Hodge MP said: "The BNP seek to divide our community and spread hate and lies. We must stand united against the threat of the BNP. Only by the action of the right thinking majority will we defeat the racism they stand for. I am encouraged by the work of anti-racism groups in Barking and Dagenham but we need to take this message to the street. Last Saturday I started what will become regular canvass sessions. I spoke to many local residents and it is only through this dialogue that we will send the message that the BNP spread lies and attack the most vulnerable in our society. We need to work together; the Labour Party, Trade Unions and anti-racism organisations to defeat the BNP at the ballot box. We need to stand united as a community and expose them for what they really are."
John Biggs, London Assembly member said: "The elections in May showed again that we must always stand up and challenge the voices of intolerance and division in our community. As the opposition leader in Tower Hamlets in 1993 when the BNP won a Council seat on the Isle of Dogs I am clear that defeating the BNP needs two things. The first is defiance, protest and a vigorous campaign to show that hatred and division cannot triumph over reason and solidarity.
The second is that the BNP feed off the insecurity that many people feel with a changing world, with low wages, with a loss of the jobs that they used to rely on and that what is also needed is leadership to show people that we can offer them a more prosperous and secure future. As well as showing our opposition tonight we should support those in our community, in the Council, in Parliament, in faith and community groups through whose work and leadership we will regain that trust."
Sabby Dhalu, Unite Against Fascism Joint Secretary said: "The commemorations of the Battle of Cable Street remind us all how fascists were defeated. The Blackshirts were defeated because the majority of decent people mobilised against them and anti-fascists challenged anti-Semitism, anti-Irish hatred and bigotry and defended the Jewish and Irish communities. Today we must do exactly the same. We must mobilise against the BNP at demonstrations and at the ballot box. Critically we must challenge the racist myths that allow the BNP to gain votes and seats in areas around the country, such as the one about Africans being given grants to move to Barking and Dagenham. We must learn lessons of history and defend the black and Asian communities."
For more information or interviews please contact 07790022472, 07980 921 076 or bdaarf@yahoo.co.uk