Newcastle

Newcastle | 22.04.2010 19:43 | Migration | Workers' Movements

Please support the St. George’s Day event at Newcastle Monument

Friday 23rd April-11am-6pm

It’s called ‘Newcastle Unites!’ – A celebratory gathering for all those opposed to race hate to come together. It isn't 'owned' by anyone......everone is welcome. It’s been rapidly arranged by various random individuals and is obviously open to all who support the ethos of the event, to positively counter the city being taken over again by far right, racist groups.

Please come along with any ideas of support/solidarity, your presence / creativity is very welcome……….

Newcastle

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

So why St Georges Day?

22.04.2010 22:58

St Georges day is traditionally a celebration of English nationalism and supremacist ideology. It's not really even one of those 'reclaimable' events that you can claim to have been distorted. If you are trying to subvert this or protest against it then say so. If not, then it seems a bit dubious to be advertising here.

confused anti-imperialist

@confused anti-imperialist

23.04.2010 07:42

your name suggests it all!

It blatantly is an attempt to occupy the space that the radical/reactionary right is currently occupying. The political far-right want it to be a nationalist day, whilst the progressive elements want it as an opportunity to undermine that.

hmm

23.04.2010 09:26

But it IS a nationalist day. If you are holding an anti-fascist demo, why not just say so?

getting less confused

oh dear me

23.04.2010 11:33

Well, you lot can do what you want.
I will be enjoying myself, you lot can be miserable and all doom and gloom if you want to.

I don't think everyone is either a raving nationalist or a raving lefty...
I think most people just want to meet up with friends, enjou a couple of pints and celebrate being English. Its not like people are going to go around baby sacrificial altars out of babies skulls.

I mean its one single day in the whole year! You could at least TRY to enjoy yourselves.
Relax, unwind, and just sit back and think we'll England is actually quite a good country all things considered.

People going around trying to stamp this enjoyment out are seriously just going to alienate everyone and give rise to the notion that 'those lot' are trying to change England.

Flag man

We Won

23.04.2010 17:51

We had a great day with music and information. This was not a demonstration but a celebration of the diversity of our community. The 150 EDL who were in Newcastle kept their heads down.

Newcastle

So what happened then?

23.04.2010 17:55

Listen you nationalist moron nobody said you shouldn't have fun you just spewed that up from far right book of things you think are wrong with the left.

I agree with anti-imperialist why Saint Georges day?
Is it to celebrate the contribution Turkish people have made to this island?
St George was probably Turkish though is also claimed by Libya he certainly wasn't English (whatever that is),
No its because you are clearly a nationalist prick pretending to use the language of the left (whatever that is)

also Mr original poster you reveal your true colours by the inclusion of this farce in the migration section......

I'm writing this after the time of the event and from a different city so did any decent Geordie see which flavour of knuckle heads turned up if at all.....

No Nations

we won!

23.04.2010 18:44

It was a really good day, people had fun, celebrated various cultures in Newcastle, danced a little, and lots of people came down. We achieved a lot.

Out of the activist ghetto :)

someone from Newcaslte

English (whatever that is)

23.04.2010 20:18

What you do mean - whatever that is!?!

English people are people who were born in England! Like an African is a person born in africa. And an australian is a person born in australia. Its not rocket science.

And who cares where St.George came from!?!?!?
I mean for god's sake. Does it matter? Hes our chosen patron saint. Big deal.

All what people are doing is celebrating being english for one day of the year.
Why do people have to dig down and peck all the time.?
Why not dig down and say we were all just piece of organic minerals blah blah. Who gives a shit.
Why not criticise everything? And nitpick every little details so that no one can have any fun or any identity whatsoever. Why not make up all dress in grey and be the same and remove any individuality and all the different cultures in the world so that no-one can say we are better than anyone else at anything. Yes, no one could get offended, but it would be bloody boring.
Fuckwits! Use some common sense and stop taking life so seriously
God i hate the anti-fascists. They just suck any form of enjoyment out of life.

Just because people are proud to be English doesn't mean they are flag waving morons.
In the world wars, people were proud to be english, if they weren't they would of keeled over at the first sign of trouble like the French.

intolerant

Fun Fun Fun

24.04.2010 00:59

If your idea of having fun is meeting up with mates once a year to celebrate 'being english' then i'l sign up to be a fun stopper. It's more fun. Your sort puts the 'fun' into Fundamentalist Bollocks.

T
mail e-mail: P A R T Y? Coz I GOTTA

the point

24.04.2010 15:37

You can all make whatever comments that you like obviously-the fact is that people took a great opportunity here to make a positive anti-racist stand which was applauded by many people from the city. The EDL were penned in like the scum they are while we both partied and communicated a vital anti racist/anti-fascist message. People listened and many changed their minds on such issues as immigration and other issues of race prejudice.It wasn't about St. George-just an oppurtunity to counteract ignorance. We were congratulated for the event from passers by, including Geordies just out shopping and from people who had suffrered from the racist abuse inflicted on them at last years fascist event at the same spot. Enjoy your infighting-while the rest of us just get on with trying to make an actual difference....

a supporter

Report with Photos

25.04.2010 10:30

There are some dicks in the anti fascist movement but there are many nice people as well. We are not all the loud mouth aresholes on the megaphones.
It was nice that people participated in the set up by correcting the Farsi and adding some Arabic to a banner.
People from all round the world participated in No Borders "Where are you from?" activity. I liked the bit where the lad with the St Georges Cross round his neck did; then a posh woman came up and said there should be borders and the lad said no there shouldn't because we're all people.

Newcastle
Homepage: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/04/449687.html

Nazis Raus

28.04.2010 12:45

St Georges day ISN'T nationalist day. It HAS been hijacked by the nationalists.

I applaud anyone on the left who is trying to counter that and offering an alternative to the fash. Good on you, keep it up.