UAF unite against fascism June newsletter
Last Updated on Friday, 17 June 2011 13:41 Friday, 17 June 2011 13:22
Stop the EDL's summer of racist hatred!
Saturday 9 July: Middlesbrough, Halifax, Derby, Cambridge and Plymouth
Antifascists will show their opposition to the racist and fascists of the English Defence League, which has called demonstrations in five towns on Saturday 9 July.
The EDL thugs plan to descend on Middlesbrough, Halifax, Derby, Cambridge and Plymouth on that date.
They want to stir up racist hatred against Muslims around the country this summer, and have also announced a demo in Tower Hamlets, east London, at the end of August.
UAF will be mobilising supporters to join local antiracist events against the EDL in Middlesbrough, Halifax, Derby, Cambridge and Plymouth on 9 July – we will have more details on our website soon.
Tower Hamlets: national demo, 27 August
UAF, together with United East End and other community organisations, is calling a national demonstration against the EDL in Tower Hamlets - this is set for Saturday 27 August.
Last year, around 5,000 people marched through Tower Hamlets in an impressive show of strength against the EDL, although the racists had already been forced to call off their own "protest", admitting it would be "a suicide mission" to attempt to march through London's East End.
We will have more details of the national demo in Tower Hamlets soon.
Defend Multiculturalism: book launch
A new book, Defend Multiculturalism, contains a hard-hitting collection of essays, poems, interviews, photos and artwork aimed at defending our multicultural society.
The book's publication draws on the campaign earlier this year to oppose David Cameron's attack on multiculturalism and Britain's Muslims.
It features chapters by Peter Hain MP, UAF joint secretaries Weyman Bennett and Sabby Dhalu and national officer Martin Smith, CWU leader Billy Hayes, poet Michael Rosen, the East London Mosque director Dilowar Khan, Ken Livingstone and other campaigners, academics and artists.
Early copies of the book, published by Bookmarks, will be available at a Defend Multiculturalism meeting at the Marxism 2011 event in London on Saturday 2 July, where contributors Salma Yaqoob, Martin Smith and Michael Rosen will all be speaking.
The book will be launched officially at the TUC congress in September.
We will be running a series of exclusive extracts from the book on the UAF website very soon - watch this space.
Diary dates
Saturday 18 June - Kent LMHR festival
Following the massive success of last years event, Kent Love Music Hate Racism has announced that their second annual festival will be held at Harbour Parade Ramsgate on Saturday 18 June.
The brilliant Congo Natty (aka The Rebel MC) headlines the main stage and there is a fantastic line-up of other acts. More details here or see the festival website.
Saturday 25 June - protest against Nazi bands in north London
An event at Electrowerkz in Islington, north London, is set to feature bands with clear fascist ties. Tony Wakeford, leading member of Sol Invictus, is an ex-member of the National Front, as well as having formed the known fascist bands Death in June (well known for their Nazi symbolism and wearing SS uniforms) and Above The Ruins. Other acts performing that night also have a fascist background.
LMHR has organised a protest at the club on Saturday 25 June from 6pm to 10pm. Full details here.
Saturday 9 July - LMHR and Anthony Walker Foundation festival, Liverpool
UAF is supporting the huge antiracist festival to be staged by our sister organisation Love Music Hate Racism and the Anthony Walker Foundation in Liverpool on Saturday 9 July.
The foundation’s daytime festival includes live music performances, DJs, dance and carnival routines, circus performers, African drumming, workshops, sports events, food and much more and is free.
In the evening, the LMHR Festival 2011 event at the Liverpool Guild of Students will feature top Merseyside band The Christians, renowned grime collective, longstanding LMHR supporters Roll Deep and a fantastic line-up of other artists. More details here.