Boris & the RISE festival
London mayor, Boris Johnson has given the go-ahead for Europe's biggest annual anti-racism festival, RISE, but, with the proviso that the tagline, LONDON UNITED AGAINST RACISM be dropped.
This comes after BNP councillor, Richard Barnbrook complained to Boris about the nature of the festival. You may draw conclusions about the type of company that has Boris's ear at this point.
There is, however, a bigger picture. Firstly, many bands and artists have previously given their time and effort, if not for free, for a much reduced rate due to the nature of the event. How many will continue to do so now? It is enirely feasable that some bands or artists could simply pull out now that the festival is essentially stripped of it's core message.
This, at a time when the anti-racist & anti fascist message needs to be heard more than ever. I joined what was then the Anti Nazi League (and is now part of UAF (Unite Against Fascism)) in 1994, following the election of a BNP councillor to the Tower Hamlets ward in London, something that even then Tory Prime Minister John Major spoke out againt. I have been involved ever since, although sometimes not as active as I'd like to be. The ANL carnival - attended by over 100,000 - in the mid 90's was one of the best - and most positive days out I have had - it seemed that a real, tangeable change had been made.
Today, the picture is less rosy. The BNP have a handfull of councillors up and down the country, I have heard people openly support them - albeit a tiny minority. I hear casual racism in polite conversation - comments that simply would not have been made a mere five years ago.
The need to rail against this is ever greater. As a proud member of UAF, I believe that their methods - whether leafleting door to door at election time, marching, organising gigs, can be - and are effective...but, sometimes not effective enough - and I say that with a heavy heart.
It is not all gloom and doom. The recent Love Music Hate Racism carnival in London, again pulled in over 100,000 people, many of them young people - many of which may have had their first brush with politics, more specifically anti-racism & anti fascism. We are also, despite attempts by some politicians, and the headlines screaming from the likes of The Daily Express, in a huge majority. That said, there is no room for complacency.
As far as the RISE festival goes, I hope that all the bands that are due to play do so, and that the anti-racist message is shouted loud and clear by the bands themselves from the stage...even if it's not officially an anti-racist event anymore, there is nothing to stop the bands making it so.
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