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Unite Against Fascism rally Oxford Town Hall - 5th April

Oxford Unite! | 28.03.2005 16:20 | Anti-racism | Oxford

Oxford Unite!
On 10 June 2004, the British National Party (BNP) gained the highest vote ever for an extreme right party in Britain. It came within a hair’s breadth of obtaining
seats in the European Parliament and the London Assembly.

With more than 800,000 votes nationwide, the BNP demonstrated a scale of electoral support already surpassing that achieved by any previous extreme right party in this country.

If the current electoral trends continue unchecked, the BNP could make a major breakthrough in national politics, giving them a significant platform for the first time with an unprecedented opportunity to promote fascism within British politics.

That breakthrough is not inevitable, but halting the BNP’s advance will be difficult and will require a campaign uniting the labour movement, the black, Asian, Jewish and Muslim communities, gay and lesbian voters, trade unionists
and everyone that supports democracy and freedom.

Rally - Act now to stop the BNP

7.30 pm. Tuesday

5th April

Oxford Town Hall

St. Aldates

Oxford town centre

Speakers

Unite Against Fascism national speaker

Billy Hayes - General Secretary CWU invited

Pat Green - Oxon County UNISON black members officer/ Oxford Afro-Caribbean Community Action Network

Oxford Mosques invited

Evan Harris MP - Liberal Democrat party

Rick Muir - Oxford City Labour councilor

Tom Lines - PPC Green Party

RESPECT invited

Oxford Unite!

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Free speech

29.03.2005 18:06

How the hell can you support democracy and think about suppressing a political party. Are you stupid?
How can you call this a democracy anyway? A friend of mine was at one of the counts for the last election, and witnessed large scale rigging. Piles of Labour votes contained BNP votes. Piles of 500 BNP votes contained 750 votes but counted as 500.
You call this a free country. Why can’t you see it is the people who don’t want to live in a “multicultural society” and turn to the BNP. Not the BNP causing trouble as the media portrays.
Is it right to deny third world countries of Doctors, nurses, engenderers or any other professionals thus denying them the chance of a better future.
Is it wrong to want Britain to be left the way it is and not turned into a super city? We are currently the most densely populated area in Europe and you want more to come here?
Large scale immigration is killing Britain.

You call them Nazi’s. Who is trying to deny free speech? Who is trying to unite Europe into one super state against the will of the people? Who arrests people because they pose a danger to political agenda? Who lied to the people then went to war on that lie, and then murdered the whistle blower (Dr David Kelly. Weapons inspector).

Who is forcing through GM crops because of pressure from greedy corporate capitalists who don’t care about the environment, just money and control.

Dave


oxford?????

31.03.2005 15:50

which is fascinating- because they know full well the BNP arent standing in Oxford this time round!

dont waste your time, go out canvass for the IWCA in oxford east instead...

Jim Page


What is the point?

01.04.2005 13:47

I hate the BNP as much as the next person but what is the point of this? All these people who don't like the BNP get together, say "the BNP are bad" and somehow fewer people in the UK are going to vote for them? FFS, have you never thought about looking at *why* the BNP have got all those people voting for them rather than making pointless gestures like this?

Donna


Pointless?

01.04.2005 16:00

So it's a pointless gesture opposing the BNP? I suppose if we ignore them, they'll go way? That strategy worked so well in Weimar Germany...

Mike


Pointless to oppose the BNP

02.04.2005 08:22

I agree we need to tackle the causes that makes people consider fascism an increasingly credible alternative to the dominant politics. However a growth of fascist forces puts us further from this aim. Imagine a BNP MP stirring up racism with repeated attacks on asylum seekers. Remember the attacks on the Asian community in Bradford.

The rally is aimed to help unite forces that can combat fascism, and in the process of the activity to concretely oppose the BNPs electoral efforts and any other fascist mobilisations. I would anticipate political debate about the causes between those active in the campaign.

All who love freedom and democracy need to stand up to fascism in the UK as it doesn't look like the causes are going to disappear in the near future. That will be easier, and ultimately less distracting if we do it when their forces are small.

While the BNP aren't standing in our back yard it would be a mistake to ignore the developing threat elsewhere. We could at least offer some concrete solidarity to those anti-fascists who are opposing an active BNP presence, and do something about the NF in Bicester.

Ian


Pointless gesture

04.04.2005 08:52

Mike, you say "So it's a pointless gesture opposing the BNP? I suppose if we ignore them, they'll go way?"

Opposing the BNP isn't pointless, thinking that some rally at the town hall wil achieve anything is. Given that you talk about the number of votes the BNP got in June 2004 and the fact that this (according to the blurb) is apparently being organised in response to this some 10 months later, makes it look even more pointless.

Donna