Love Music Hate Racism and the National Education Union will be partying hard at the Notting Hill Carnival 2018. Soca DJ legend Smokey Joe and his roadshow will be powering our float – and we want you to join us.
The theme this year is Sunbeam, paying dedication to glorious warmth of the Caribbean sun, Claudia Jones founder of the carnival and the Windrush Generation.
Last year we came 4th in the CMA Soca On The Move Competition and brought the politics back to the fun- sending our solidarity to the tragedy that was and still is Grenfell.
This year LMHR will be returning in collaboration with Smokey Joe Roadshow on Sunday 26th (T-shirt Day) and Monday 27th (Masquerade aka costume Day).
BOOK YOUR PLACE:
On Eventbrite (this includes booking fees)
Or
Head to the Soca Lounge at The Tabernacle W11, every Wednesday from 6-10pm till the weekend of Carnival:.
Morrissey has jumped from the gutter into the sewer with his latest racist outbursts, which single out Muslims, Jews and Black and Asian politicians.
Echoing fascist and ultra nationalist parties in Europe, the singer has called for Halal and Kosher meat to be banned and dumped abuse on shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and on London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan.
According to Morrissey, “halal slaughter requires certification that can only be given by supporters of Isis”, a process which he describes as “evil” and which should be banned. He also calls for the outlawing of Jewish kosher meat preparation, which he says is “very cruel”.
The message is barely coded. From the Nazi BNP and EDL in Britain to Marine Le Pen’s Front National in France to Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban’s anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-migrant election campaign last month, calls to ban Halal and Kosher meat have acted as a dog whistle for their Nazi followers.
Just in case the point wasn’t clear, Morrissey rounded on Sadiq Khan, the Asian Mayor of London, accusing him of being in charge of a “debased” city and claiming he “cannot talk properly”. The black, woman shadow home secretary, the subject outrageous racist abuse, which reached a peak during last year’s election campaign, is dismissed with a sneer that “even Tesco wouldn’t employ Diane Abbott”.
To cap it all, the singer tells us “the modern Loony Left seem to forget that Hitler was Left wing,” before giving a plug to For Britain, the ultra-right wing party set up by former UKIP leadership candidate Anne Marie Waters. In 2016, Waters, together with English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, tried to launch Pegida UK – a copy of the German far right umbrella group, which has provided a fertile environment for Hitler lovers to organise and recruit.
None of this is accidental. It isn’t a result of being misquoted by the media. Morrissey spelled out these vile views on his own website, because he didn’t trust the media to convey his message clearly enough. He has been here before and he’s backed down in the face of outrage from his fans and the wider public, but he’s been emboldened again by the climate of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and general racism that is sweeping the world.
Stand up to racism
Morrissey’s views have no place in music and no place in wider society and we utterly condemn his statements.
Forty years ago Rock Against Racism was launched after blues guitarist Eric Clapton used his stage in Birmingham to sing the praises of racist extremist Enoch Powell. Morrissey is treading an even more dangerous and extremist path than Clapton.
Rock Against Racism, and its successor Love Music Hate Racism, have shown the power of music to overcome bigotry and division and we will do so again.
We will be organising gigs and educational events in towns and cities across the country, to shut up bigots like Morrissey and his racist friends. We call on all music lovers to join us and celebrate the multi-cultural fusion that represents the best of 21st century Britain.
Big up Hospitality Records for booting Mistabishi over racism
Hospital Records has kicked drum ‘n’ bass producer Mistabishi, aka James Pullen, from its label after he made a stream of racist and xenophobic comments.
Pulled for attacking London Mayor Sadiq Khan, it transpires his tirade was just the latest in a long running set of racist online remarks. Well done MixMag for highlighting the unbridled bigotry on Mistabishi’s social media.
Hospitality Records has done exactly the right thing in dropping this bigot from their label. There is no place for hate speech, racism and xenophobia in the society and certainly not in music.
Thanks also to Hospitality for their pledge to donate income received from his releases to Love Music Hate Racism. We will put it to good use, building for United Nations Anti-Racism day on 17 March, and spreading our unity message in clubs, gigs and festivals across the UK this year.
“Racism, xenophobia and bigotry have no place in our community. We are proud to be part of a diverse and tolerant community in which every person is treated as an equal no matter where they are from, their race or heritage,” says Hospitality.
That’s the message we should all be spreading.