Campaign strikes BNP in heartland
ANTI-RACISM campaigners have been out on the streets, asking residents to kick out the British National Party.
Volunteers with Love Music Hate Racism, Unite Against Fascism and NorSCARF have been blitzing Bentilee with anti-BNP leaflets.
Bentilee and Townsend is one of two Stoke-on-Trent City Council wards served by three BNP councillors. The other is Abbey Green.
Campaigners say they are taking action now to make sure a BNP candidate never becomes mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.
Campaigner Weyman Bennett, of Unite Against Fascism, travelled to Bentilee from London to co-ordinate the leaflet drop.
He said it was the launch of a major campaign against the BNP in Stoke-on-Trent.
Mr Bennett said: “The BNP has two targets, European election for the North West and getting a councillor elected as mayor of Stoke-on-Trent. In order to stop the BNP we aim to make sure we have enough people to conduct a proper campaign. We need to be bigger and better than the BNP.”
About 30 volunteers went through Bentilee on Saturday dropping off leaflets. They say: “The BNP is targeting Stoke claiming to represent white people, but they don't stand for the majority of white people.”
Volunteer Neil Dawson, aged 58, of Burslem, pictured, said: “It's about believing in a free and equal society, celebrating a multi-cultural approach.”
“In Britain we are a mix of different people who like different things.”
Fellow volunteer Lunka Crehan, aged 46, of Talke Pits, is originally from Gambia, and joined the campaign to speak out against racism. She said: “It is not every white person who is bad, or every black person who is bad.
“There are good and bad in all cultures. I have had racist comments when I have lived here, but I had racist comments in Gambia, because my husband is white.”
Retired Jon Honeysett, aged 66, an RAF veteran from Talke Pits, said: “I think the problem is people's education.
“It doesn't make them understand that freedom and democracy were fought for by hundreds of thousands of people from other countries.”
BNP leader Alby Walker described the leaflets accusing the BNP of “fascism”, “racism” and stirring hatred against Muslims, as “ridiculous”.
He said: “They are entitled to their opinions. If it was during election time, it would be a third party driving political opinion.
“We just put our opinion. In Bentilee they are wasting their time.
“We have three councillors here, and people are more interested in what we are saying.”
2 Comments
by nathaniel bellamy, chatham
Sunday, March 22 2009, 1:55PM
“i must say i am suprised with this group, i think your right in kicking out racism but again its people like you and labour that dont listen to the public, we dont want immagrants in our country taking jobs, houses and using our welfer system and nhs to there advantage when our country cant cope. its labour that are not listining and pushing voters towards the bnp and the ukip, im sorry to say that 99% of people agree this is the uk and that all the immagrants should be sent home if there here not to help the uk, the british people are not equal to immagrants when they get houses and money before us. which is why im not voting for labour or lib dem or conservatives. we need to close the borders before its to late. and pull out of the eu. we need a british person to run the country not brussles!! its not the bnp sturring up racist comments its how people see it. the country is going down hill and people know who they will vote for and with what the bnp and the ukip have then more seats will be taken by them and i hope they get it,”
by dette mc loughlin, north west
Friday, August 01 2008, 11:03PM
“thank-you for including this article in your paper. It is important that the media cover what is going on in the streets throughout the country. It is also progressive to cover actions being taken by ordinary people coming together to campaign on issues that matter- like racism, equality, diversity.”