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Protest Against Racism

Unite Against Fascism | 20.04.2005 15:09 | Anti-racism | Indymedia | Social Struggles | Liverpool | South Coast

Broadcasters have a responsibility not to incite racial attacks. Please ensure they act responsibility and pull the plug on the BNP's hatred and lies.

Adolf Hitler used the freedom of the press in his attempt to destroy mankind. The BBC and commercial broadcasters must be reminded to act accordingly.



Protest against the British National Party's party political broadcast and call on the BBC to pull the plug on race hatred

BBC1 and BBC2 are set to transmit the first party political broadcast by the BNP in the general election campaign on Thursday 21st April. The BBC is not obliged under the law to transmit the broadcast. There are precedents for restrictions being put on the fascist and racist BNP - its previous broadcasts were either stopped entirely or subject to severe restriction due to their offensive content. Wherever the BNP have a presence, racist attacks increase. Prominent members of the BNP including its leader Nick Griffin have recently been charged under the section 18 of the Public Order Act which outlaws incitement to racial hatred.

A letter will be handed in, calling on the BBC to not to broadcast the BNP's message of race hate.

You can make a complaint...

By phoning the BBC: 08700 100 222
or Textphone: 08700 100 212
or by email: Go to the BBC website complaints page  http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/ and click on 'email: send your complaint'

You can also write to the BBC:
BBC Complaints, PO Box 1922, Glasgow G2 3WT

You can complain to OFCOM on the content of the broadcast by emailing:  contact@ofcom.org.uk

You can also call on the other broadcasters not to broadcast the BNP's election material:

ITV:  dutyoffice@itv.com
C4:  viewerenquiries@channel4.co.uk
C5:  customerservices@five.tv


Please let us know the details of your complaint by cc'ing  unite@natfhe.org.uk

For more information: www.uaf.org.uk 020 7388 4916



Unite Against Fascism

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

No platform is a big mistake

20.04.2005 17:27

I think people have forgotten what old Niemoller said:

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.


This applies equally to the far left trying to suppress free speach as much as the far right.

Socialist intolerance and prohibition on freedom of speach and freedom of political discourse is just as abhorent as Fascism's supression of free speach and political discourse.

Obawulugun


one last time

20.04.2005 17:36

the last statement in tony blair's preface to the labour party election manifesto is:

"Self interest and national interest together."

so his continued ambition is to nurture a society of self-interested nationalists. what do they do then? they have nice hospitals and schools because they bleed the third world dry and bomb other peoples kids. what is the link between belligerent nationalism and racism? - discuss. or don't, if you work for the labour / tory party, the bbc, the murdoch press or the unions.

no third term for blair or the labour party. more than enough damage already.

- -


Protest against censorship-argue the bnp into defeat rather than suppress

20.04.2005 21:07

Its far better to get the BNP to debate with someone intelligent on primetime they'll crack under pressure!-better that than censor them so they look like radical subversives-thats what JS Mill would have said, who he? An evil foaming at the mouth reformist liberal-thats why it says on the blurb on the back of Principles of political economy that he was optimistic about a form of decentralised socialism (but then I guess that UAF (formally ANL)aren't too keen on decentralisation-speak if you have something to say about this I would rather meet in the middle than widen the divisions). Election wise if its safe to and labour+conservative are the only choices in your area, make a conscious effort to deliberately spoil your vote! If the BNP are vote ANYONE to stop them getting in. Lib Dems hmmm dodgy but at least they're in favour of proportional rep-whats the betting they'll u-turn in office? (I also don't like the way they treated Jenny Tonge).

Nobodys voter(and antifash thanku)-spoil your ballot!


Remember redwatch???

20.04.2005 22:30

The BNP does not believe in free and balanced reporting. The BNP uses physical threats to try and intimidate journalists. They put details of journalist whose coverage they don‘t like on race-hate websites, to make them targets of attack.

NUJ members in the north of England have passed a dossier to police on these threats. They are just part of a BNP campaign to silence those who do not agree with their vile racist policies.

But there ARE journalists and newspapers around the country that do investigate and expose the BNP and their lies, and the NUJ applauds and supports them.

The NUJ defends the rights of journalists and stand with others to defend media freedom. The BNP has no respect for media freedom or trade union rights.

We will resist all intimidation by the BNP It is a fascist party. There is no place for racism and fascism in this country.

NUJ


Remember Redwatch

20.04.2005 22:32

The BNP does not believe in free and balanced reporting. The BNP uses physical threats to try and intimidate journalists. They put details of journalist whose coverage they don‘t like on race-hate websites, to make them targets of attack.

NUJ members in the north of England have passed a dossier to police on these threats. They are just part of a BNP campaign to silence those who do not agree with their vile racist policies.

But there ARE journalists and newspapers around the country that do investigate and expose the BNP and their lies, and the NUJ applauds and supports them.

The NUJ defends the rights of journalists and stand with others to defend media freedom. The BNP has no respect for media freedom or trade union rights.

We will resist all intimidation by the BNP It is a fascist party. There is no place for racism and fascism in this country.

NUJ


There's No Such Thing As Free Speech In BNP Idealogy

20.04.2005 23:16

Opponents of No Platform argue that it is a denial of free speech but this is to misunder-stand both free speech and No Platform. Firstly, free speech is not an absolute and there are laws in Britain which place restrictions on what can be said, so that it is illegal, for example, to incite racial hatred. When fascists are allowed a public platform they frequently use the opportunity to stir up racial hatred and violence against black people, Jews, anti-racists and others.

Secondly, the right to free speech brings with it particular responsibilities, such as not violating other people's freedom. Fascism as an ideology is inherently opposed to free speech, freedom of movement and the right to live one's life without fear or oppression. Freedom of speech is very important, but so is the right to live without fear of the discrimination, hatred and violence that fascism represents. The fascists of today, such as the British National Party, do not really believe in free speech but they will be quick to exploit liberal arguments in favour of it for their own purposes. The BNP uses the mantle of free speech to stir up racial hatred and deny the Holocaust.

Let us not forget that the BNP would deny all black people not only the right to speak but also the actual right to live in Britain.

Members of the BNP have suggested in print that the party would follow in the footsteps of Hitler and the Nazis if it could, and forcibly silence all its opponents through a campaign of intimidation, imprisonment and murder. Writing in The Rune recently, Nick Griffin stated that, if in power, the BNP would execute "the politicians, those in charge of the media, police chiefs and those responsible for creating this multi-racial hellhole". Fascists will manipulate arguments about free speech but the reality is that they would welcome the chance to deny millions of people their own rights to free speech. In a free and democratic society, to allow the BNP and other nazis to cloak their genocidal hatred in the flag of free speech is to degrade and undermine the concept of tolerance.

Lizzeee