Europe's biggest anti-racist festival axed by Boris Johnson

Hi there, have posted a longish article myself at Comment is Free. You can have a butcher's at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/09/race-boris?commentpage=4

Oh dear. Yet another distorted article. For balance I would recommend everyone reads the article below from the Guardian before making their own minds up.

It seems that what REALLY happened is that Boris called time on taxpayers money being used for political purposes (during a recession remember), and the Unions then had a hissy fit and pulled the plug on funding. Of course this gets reported by Labour as the Mayor "removing the anti-racist element" from the festival, because this fits with the overarching continuing strategy to tar all Tories as racist (including me, of course, by extension, because I happened to vote for them in the past, so I am therefore a member of the KKK.)


Guardian, 17/6/08, by Munira Mirza

"The sun is finally out and the festival season is in full swing. Londoners will be scanning Sunday supplement pages for the best weekend events to go to this summer. This year's Rise festival, hosted by the Greater London Authority on Sunday July 13 in Finsbury Park, is already starting to pick up media coverage. This is not only because of the exciting and eclectic line-up of bands (CSS, Jimmy Cliff, The Aliens, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Dub Pistols among others) but because some commentators have suggested that the tone of the event has changed. They're right.

To give some background: in 1996 the Trades Union Congress and various political groups organised Respect (later renamed Rise), intended as a festival against racism. One of the organisations involved was the National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR). In 2000, the then newly-elected Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, effectively nationalised the event by giving it large sums of public money. Several of Ken's key aides at City Hall had links to NAAR, including Lee Jasper.

Over the years, Rise was proclaimed by Ken & Co as a key weapon in the fight against racism and fascism. In reality, it became an annual jamboree for Ken's favourite political activist groups, many with no clear link to anti-racism. The Cuba Solidarity Campaign, Socialist Workers Party and CND, among others, brought in their armies of volunteers to man stalls, hand out leaflets, sell newspapers and rattle donation buckets. The "community" area of the festival looked more like Sussex University freshers' fair circa 1970. Not without good reason did Rise become known as "Kenstock".

The deterrent effect of this highly politicised atmosphere should not be underestimated. Although the event was supposed to be inclusive and attract people from ethnic minorities, the GLA's own research (conducted while Ken was mayor) shows that 65%-70% of attendees in the last two years were white. That is disproportionately whiter than the population of London. It seems reasonable to conclude that the political baggage and relentless sloganeering was actually putting people off. And no doubt many individuals and families who did come on the day were there primarily for the music or a nice day out.

Londoners deserve a great, free music festival with excellent bands from around the world. They don't need to be hectored about why racism is bad or accosted by activists explaining why Castro is a hero. We don't have anti-racist fireworks on New Year's Eve and we don't need to organise an anti-paedophile concert to prove our moral credentials on the issue. Sectarian political festivals are not the way Londoners want their money to be spent. Most of us, I suspect, just want to be trusted to get on with other people and not be instructed by activists about the dangers of racism.

That's why the GLA has decided to go ahead with Rise this summer, but to change the emphasis. We are stressing the cultural aspects of the festival and keeping the vibe positive. We are also bringing in grassroots ethnic and community organisations that have not previously been involved. Above all we are making Rise fun. As a result, the festival will hopefully attract a more diverse audience.

Londoners voted for change on May 1 and the new Rise is part of that change. Out will go the political sloganeering and heavy-handed propaganda but by bringing Londoners from different backgrounds together to share their love of music Rise will be doing anti-racism for real."

"The Tories do not appreciate the need to entertain and enlighten Londoners with the anti-racist message because they think that racists will not attend. How do they know that?"

Common sense.

It's a rare commodity these days - treasure it.

It's amusing to hear constantly about the possible dangers of the barmy but bombless far right, when the real, physical and present danger we are all experiencing at this moment is from islamic terrorism.

Let's have a rally to object to THAT.

"He cited a lack of union sponsorship for the event."

"Meanwhile, Linda Perks, UNISON Regional Secretary, another former sponsor, said..."

Perhaps the unions withheld sponsorship in order to create this story?

"the Tories think that spending resources on this kind of festival involves not spending the resources elsewhere. How do they know that?"

It's true by definition.

"I think a lot of people would pay for a days entertainment, whilst fighting racism."

Nobody asked me actually, why should I be forced to pay for something I won't be attending?

And Marek, how do you know it has any impact whatsoever on talking racism? It is usual when funding charities to require some evidence of their impact. Is the concert able to demonstrate that it makes any difference whatsoever? As for how the Tories can be sure spending resources on these kind of festivals means not spending the resources elsewhere, I think it's fairly obvious how they can know that: budgeting.

Your last sentence is a great idea. You get your festival at no significant cost to the taxpayer, and, moreover, you get to asses its intrinsic value to people and popularity in a way that you never will with a freebee

I thought Derek Draper had the copyright on 'racist'.

When are you socialists going to get it through your thick stupid skulls that there is no money for parties! WTF is the matter with you? You fund it!

I've lived in Brixton for 4 years. I've never heard of this festival. I suspect therefore it was simply a party for the usual suspects of Livingstone cheerleaders. No loss.

The Tories do not appreciate the need to entertain and enlighten Londoners with the anti-racist message because they think that racists will not attend. How do they know that?

The Tories also think that strengthening the ant-racist resolve among the anti-racists who do attend will have no effect on racists. How do they know that?

Last but not least, the Tories think that spending resources on this kind of festival involves not spending the resources elsewhere. How do they know that?

We all know that racism is a sickening cancer in our society ready to erupt at any moment.

I call on all grassroot Labour supporters to use the internet to create a people's festival to proclaim loud and clear our opposition to racism.

With that line-up I'd be more inclined to pay to stay away.

So let the Union UNITE put on the festival, thats the real story, if unions want a festival, hands in pocket and pay for it. 100,000 listerning to Jimmy Cliff is less than feck all. I look forward to the day that we have a massive festival with the major ethnic bands of London playing, and thats not reggae boys.

I think Ken has already got that gong.

Is this to stop the Black / Asian wars that are going on in London? Or the Caribbean / Somali wars in Bristol? Or the Muslim / Anybody else wars in Bradford?

Just asking, like....

My diary is probably full that day and so, living in London, am glad I wasn't charged for it.

Am afraid Buzzcocks, Common, Jimmy Cliff, Run DMC, Graham Coxon, The Wailers, De La Soul and Kelis will have to ply their trade in much the same way as many other musicians and bands do - on a commercial basis.

The event may be charitable, but actually costs the taxpayer many thousands of pounds in hundreds of Police officers that have to be paid for as well as emergency services and various support services such as litter collection, all costing the tax payer.

Of course if anyone is having a problem with racism then they should contact their local police station as all the laws are in place to combat it.

Took me a few seconds to realize the point of the article here.

Johnson withdraws public money support for anti-racist, anti-right wing festival. This does not make Johnson a racist of course.

Nice one.

It's hilarious how quickly the wheels have come off the Bojo bandwagon.

Is he going for some kind of record for the most useless, dodgy, incompetence in the shortest space of time in the history of British politics?

Am I bovvered?

'Why don't the 100,000 people, for whom this day's entertainment is apparently so crucial, put their hands in their pockets and pay for it?'

I think a lot of people would pay for a days entertainment, whilst fighting racism. Wouldn't you? Also, I would say fighting far-right attitudes is fairly crucial...

It says a lot about BJ and the Tories that they will just sit by and watch a charitable cause collapse. Such a shame.

That man is a disgrace...

Why don't the 100,000 people, for whom this day's entertainment is apparently so crucial, put their hands in their pockets and pay for it? I reckon £15 a head should cover it.

And Ken, why is London meant to sponsor St Patrick's day festivals when its patron saint is St George?