Campaigners unite to combat fascism

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/inde ... full/86829" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Delegates at the Unite Against Fascism national conference vowed on Saturday to flood the streets of Barking and Dagenham with anti-fascist activists in order to prevent the BNP from gaining its first MP.

Attended by over 300 anti-fascists, the conference TUC Congress House was split up into interactive workshops discussing the role of trade unions, music and sport in defeating the BNP threat.

Co-sponsor of the event Sertuc president Martin Gould evoked the proud history of resisting fascism stretching back to the 1930s.

"It was the trade unions and the Communist Party at Cable Street in 1936 which fought fascism," he said.

"At Grunwick and Lewisham in 1977, trade unions set the agenda and we set it again now

"Let those victories be our inspiration."

Communication Workers Union general secretary and UAF treasurer Billy Hayes explained how his union had battled to insert a "conscience clause" into postal workers' contracts, to enable them to not deliver "fascist filth" through the letterbox.

Referring to BNP leader Nick Griffin as the "Hannibal Lecter of British politics," Mr Hayes criticised the BBC for allowing fascists to appear on Question Time.

"It made him appear a victim of the liberal majority," said Mr Hayes. He praised UAF for "aligning different social forces" to fight the fascists.

Referring to the film Schindler's List, Mr Hayes added: "Nazi Germany did not start with gas chambers. It starts with not opposing racism and allowing Griffin on Question Time."

Teaching unions and civil servants have both spearheaded drives to take a tough line on BNP activity by union members.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower called on the entire labour movement to "pull in the same direction" against the rise of the BNP, pointing out that fascism was not the answer to social problems of poor housing and poverty.

And Nasuwt assistant general secretary Jerry Bartlett defended the no-platform policy, saying that he didn't understand why union members read "soft-porn comics" like the Sun.

"Why don't they read the Morning Star, which campaigns daily on behalf of working people?" he asked.

[clashcityrocker]

"It was the trade unions and the Communist Party at Cable Street in 1936 which fought fascism

That is rewriting history a bit. The Communist Party organised a counter demonstration (in Trafalgar Sq I think) and forbade their followers to try and stop the march.Any that ignored the order were expelled from the Party. It seems a lot of the fighting was done by Irish (Republican) dockers without whom the march would not have been stopped.
Apart from that wonderful sentiments.
Billy talks a good battle if nothing else.

[damo]

I find it very amusing that the labour party and supporting organisations are shouting about fascism,when they are the main perpertrators,invading other countries,more cctv cameras than any other country,an army of snoopers at their beck and call,suppression of free speech. I could go on ad infintum.wasnt that how the fascists in germany and the communists the world over operated?

[IWW Fellow Worker]

"It was the trade unions and the Communist Party at Cable Street in 1936 which fought fascism

That is rewriting history a bit. The Communist Party organised a counter demonstration (in Trafalgar Sq I think) and forbade their followers to try and stop the march.Any that ignored the order were expelled from the Party. It seems a lot of the fighting was done by Irish (Republican) dockers without whom the march would not have been stopped.
Apart from that wonderful sentiments.
Billy talks a good battle if nothing else.

Fair comment mate and let's not forget that a lot of genuine British patriots opposed, and still oppose fascism.

[opgpat]

The problem with this is that the BNP aren't traditional hardcore 'facists' are they??? The National Front were brain-dead fascists. But the BNP are what the name suggests, a nationalist party with a manifesto. They represent legitimate views that a lot of people have after an open door policy that has seen us flooded with people from across the globe. Isn't anyone threatening them with violence and stopping them campaigning the actual fascist? Honest question.

If you go to Afghanistan or Iraq or Iran you will find millions of people who believe that WE are the fascists. If we can refuse to deliver BNP leaflets can we do the same with Labour Party ones? Aren't they are the party that have killed thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq? And didn't they illegally invade a country based on orchestrated lies to make it seem the right thing to do? Don't they support free trade and good relations with China a country operating a fascist regime in Tibet where people are tortured for not accepting Chinese occupation?

Ironically the BNP are a symptom of the free-market Capitalist system and it's need for cheap labour hence largescale ecomomic migration to the UK.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

The problem with this is that the BNP aren't traditional hardcore 'facists' are they???

Not in public.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The problem with this is that the BNP aren't traditional hardcore 'facists' are they???

Not in public.

well not recently anyway

pd1653000 august 1983.jpg

pd1654689.jpg

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Reminds me of the old joke: What's one hundred yards long and has an IQ of 99? A National Front march!

[opgpat]

Those pictures prove nothing other than 25 years ago as a young man Griffin was in the NF.

Here's another picture of a young politicized man. He's a terroist, the active leader of the armed wing of the ANC.

Nelson-Mandela.jpg

Jack Straw used to be a hard-line Communist leader of the NUS visting Castro. Hitler used to be a bohemian painter. Musolini used to be a journalist . Does that make all journalists and arty types future facists? Is Griffin always a fascist even if he says he isn't? If so Jack Straw is still a Communist so should we demonstrate against him too? And Mandela is still a bomb making terrorist.

The point is people grow up, experience the world and change fundamentally. You can only judge this guy on what he says now.

[shimmyrule]

just trying to even it up a bit,

jUST CONCERNED PEOPLE IN THIS lONDON PIC


Just like labour, the tories and the liberals, the bnp has changed, it may be hard for some of you to stomach, but hey ho. No skinheads, no tattoos here, no pitbulls and no marches on the street, thats for the NF and the EDL.Just concerned people in this London pic.Still, its always nice to see the cwu putting peoples subs to good use, just to hopefully get a cosy wee number in the Labour party, Just ask Alan johnston.

[clashcityrocker]

They represent legitimate views that a lot of people have after an open door policy that has seen us flooded with people from across the globe.

Unfortunately there you betray your agenda. "Flooded" is a highly emotive word. What next - Enoch Powells Rivers of Blood speech or some right wing Thatcherite rant?
Here in Scotland we have our fair share of Polish delis and plasterers but the population is falling due to emigration. 3 local primary schools are closing due to falling numbers.Hardly flooded are we?
Scotland has a proud history of accepting immigrants and asylum seekers from the potato famine through Vietnam to the present day.
What the UK doesn't need is twats with half-baked ideas about race and nationality.
Griffin's BNP is quite simply the latest in a long line of fascist organisations to rear their ugly head in UK politics including Moseley's blackshirts and Tyndall's NF.
Has Griffin changed since his days in the NF as a Holocaust denier?
Take a black friend along to a BNP meeting.
Take a mixed race couple along as well.
Come back and tell us how it went.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

Has Griffin changed since his days in the NF as a Holocaust denier?
Take a black friend along to a BNP meeting.
Take a mixed race couple along as well.
Come back and tell us how it went.

No self-respecting white person goes along to BNP meetings, so you could hardly expect a black person to turn up.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Yes people change but IMO I don't think you can equate Griffin's change of Political Dressing and allegiance from the NF to the BNP with Mandela's journey from Freedom Fighter/Terrorist to President of a Nation that introduced "Forgiveness and Reconciliation" tribunals. I'd equate it more to Jerry Adams and Martin McGuinness transfering from the IRA to Sinn Fien. Window dressing only at the time, hopefully they have changed and hopefully at some point so will Griffin.

[damo]

TBT you cant equate griffin with mandela or adams and Mcguinness,as they were terrorists, who have killed innocent men,women and children for a political agenda.griffin hasnt. .

IWW given the dire history of communism,how can any self respecting person be they black,white or any other colour be a member of the communist party or any of its affiliations?

having read many of your posts ,TBT,CCR and IWW I presume you are labour supporters and voters,if so,may i refer you to my post made earlier and answer the question.I look forward to your replies.

[Tman]

IWW given the dire history of communism,how can any self respecting person be they black,white or any other colour be a member of the communist party or any of its affiliations?

You could be in for a rather long wait for a reply, but I'm sure the silence will be filled with the usual (and standard) replies. You may even strike lucky and get those top-class cliches like "poltroon" "lackey" and "capitalist lap-dog"
{Oblique references to some obscure 1920s Eastern European pamphleteer coming anytime now....}