Love Music Hate Racism

National March & Parade Against Racism and Fascism ** Stop the Fascist BNP ** ** Love Music Hate Racism Carnival Hits the Streets! ** Saturday 21st June 2008 Assemble: 12 noon, Tooley Street, London SE1 (behind Greater London Assembly building, nr Tower Bridge) To: Trafalgar Square W1. ************************************************** In the wake of the election of the fascist British National Party's Richard Barnbrook to the Greater London Assembly (GLA), and of other new BNP councillors in other parts of the country, we will show once again that anti-fascists are the majority. The Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) Carnival at the end of April showed the mass multicultural audience opposed to racism and fascism and now is the time for the Carnival to hit the streets. Barnbrook must not be allowed to settle comfortably into his ill-gotten office, but must be resisted at every turn. Together we can stop the BNP from turning their GLA win into a respectable platform for spreading racist poison in London and across the country.

Keen to keep the momentum going following the tremendous impact this year's Viccy Park Carnival had, and mindful of renewed if limited success for the fascist BNP in local election elections, LMHR have announced plans to take the Carnival to the North of England in 2009, ahead of June's European Parliament elections in which the Nazis will again be aiming to do well. There will also be a major LMHR event in Yorkshire this summer. John McClure aka The Reverend of Sheffield's Reverend and The Makers is working with LMHR on an exciting lineup of top acts from the region, to hammer home the message that many thousands of people in Yorkshire want to rid their area of racism and fascists like the BNP. The Rev announced the Yorkshire event in this week's NME in an excellent article on the BNP's results in the May elections, alongside a piece by Babyshambles' Drew McConnell analysing the London elections and the need to keep up the fight against racism and fascism. More details will be announced shortly.

Babyshambles frontman Peter Doherty says he was "gutted" to have missed last Sunday's 100,000+ Love Music Hate Racism Carnival in east London's Victoria Park. He wasted no time upon his early release from jail this morning to condemn the election of the fascist BNP's Richard Barnbrook to the London Assembly. The singer said, "There will be no passage of evil through these isles without a proper, good struggle. This island has always been a melting pot and personally I am 100% mongrel in the great dog stew of history. Bona fide scouse, London Irish, jew Geordie BiloRussian. Closed borders are like closed minds. What of humanity's horizons? How infinite are they or how barricaded are they? Racism is upon us and let us not forget it is still within living memory that six million people died in gas chambers because of a hateful ideology."

The fascist British National Party's London fuhrer, Richard Barnbrook, has managed to con a small minority of Londoners into voting for him, to scrape onto the London Assembly via the cross-London party list - largely through votes won in outer London boroughs like Barking & Dagenham and Havering & Redbridge . Without the anti-fascist campaigning prior to the election, and particularly last Sunday's huge Love Music Hate Racism Carnival, the BNP would undoubtedly have gained more seats in London. The Carnival showed the mass audience opposed to racism and fascism which can build the bigger united anti-fascist movement that can stop the Nazis. A protest has been organised against the BNP and Barnbrook - at 6pm on Tuesday 6th May at City Hall London SE1. The protest is called by LMHR with other organisations sure to join the call, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Weyman Bennett from Unite Against Fascism said: “Several members of BNP have convictions for racial hatred this includes the leader of the BNP Nick Griffin. In the past other fascists leaders have use the democratic freedoms in order to destroy everybody rights and freedom of speech. ” Drew McConnell, of leading LMHR-supporting band Babyshambles, said: "Multicultural Britain should be celebrated. Immigration is not to blame for unemployment or housing problems, and does not negatively affect the economy, but the BNP tell us this is actually the case. We want them to know they're not fooling us. Everyone knows the BNP are a Nazi organization, and they can't hide behind their suits forever.”

With 100 of 160 local council election results declared so far, the BNP have gained 8 new local councillors across the UK, winning 2 seats in each of Amber Valley (Derbyshire), Rotherham (S.Yorks) and Nuneaton and Bedworth (Warks, nr Coventry), as well as seats in Thurrock (Essex) and Pendle (Lancs, nr Burnley). However, in places where the fascists have previously done well, such as the West Midlands (Sandwell & Dudley), Broxbourne in Herts, and in Oldham, their vote has fallen significantly (e.g. average BNP vote has halved in Sandwell) - surely in large part the result of anti-fascist campaigning. Watch this space for more on the election results.

Check out our special LMHR Carnival '08 'photostream' on flickr, with essential pics taken by LMHR's own team of ace snappers. You can also see the pics other people took by looking at the 'Latest Photos' section lower down this page - or go straight to http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/lovemusichateracism/

We now have a full range of LMHR t-shirts back in stock - all sizes and colours in men's, women's and children's are avaiable. We also have loads of new types of LMHR badges - get the whole set and support the cause! Finally, there's our uber-trendy LMHR hessian bags. T-shirts cost £11 inc p&p, badges are £5 for 10, and the bags are just a fiver. You can pay either via www.lovemusichateracism.com/donate or else send a cheque payable to 'Love Music Hate Racism' to LMHR, PO Box 2566, London N4 1WJ.

If you havent already - don't forget to use your vote today if you live in London or in an area with local council elections. The BNP thrive on low turnouts, so whichever other party you feel you can vote for, get down there and do it!