Stop the BNP on May 4

By Pav Akhtar, NUS Black Students Officer

In May, the fascist BNP hopes to win new council seats and build further bases of support around the country. Students should act now to help stop this.

In other European countries, local gains by fascist parties have provided a stepping stone to making a breakthrough on the national political stage. Some are now running ministries as part of coalition governments. Others are using increased leverage to win concessions to racism.

It is possible to halt the progress of the BNP in Britain, but its recent rapid growth represents real a threat.

In the 2004 European elections, the BNP received 800,000 votes, and in last year’s general election polled close to 200,000 votes. These are the highest votes for a fascist party in British history.

The BNP is growing off the back of increasing racism, especially Islamophobia at present.

The BNP have declared 4 May a ‘Referendum on Islam’, seeking to exploit the racist demonisation of Muslims in the press and by some politicians.

Fascism stands for the persecution and attempted annihilation of whole communities and democratic society.

Hitler's Nazis murdered 15 million people, including more than six million Jewish people, plus Roma and Black people, lesbian, gay and disabled people, political opponents and trade unionists.
Challenging the racism that feeds the BNP’s growth is necessary for their defeat.

In Oldham, where the BNP received their highest votes in the 2001 general election, a broad campaign united the trade unions with the local Black communities and all opposed to fascism, and effectively challenged the racist myths the BNP had exploited. As a result the BNP were unable to gain council seats in the area and by 2005 its vote had more than halved.

The BNP is now infiltrating the student movement, launching a ‘Student Association’ to draw young people to fascism. Its members have even contested students’ union elections.

Students have a vital role to play in the run up to the local elections.

We must unite all those who are threatened by the BNP regardless of our differences on other issues. All who believe in democracy and human rights should use their vote and get active in areas under threat to stop the BNP on 4 May.

ACTION

• Unite against Fascism (UAF) national day of action, 29 April, to campaign against the BNP in the local elections.

• UAF has a leaflet to mobilise the anti-fascist vote in your area.

• Visit www.uaf.org.uk, email unite@natfhe.org.uk or phone 020 7833 4916 or 020 7837 4522 for information of activities in your area.

• Love Music Hate Racism — free carnival: Trafalgar Square, 29th April, Belle and Sebastian, Kano and others. 11am-8pm.