200 Protest Against the Nazi BNP in Blackpool

Last weekend the Fascist BNP tried to hold their oh-so-respectable "annual conference" in Blackpool.

Unite Against Fascism mobilized in large numbers, and, after a rally in central Blackpool, we marched through the streets to the dingy, backwater New Kimberley Hotel, which shamefully allowed the Nazis to hold their event.

Outside there were 200 of us, while inside the BNP only had 50 inside.

So much them making a comeback.

Here's a report from the UAF website [www.uaf.org.uk]:

Over two hundred anti-fascists joined the protest against the British National Party (BNP) in Blackpool on Saturday 25th November.

The protest was called by North West Region Unite Against Fascism and Blackpool and Fylde and Wyre TUC Blackpool, in opposition to the British National Party holding their conference at the resort. Protesters came from Blackpool, Lancaster, Barrow, Preston, Manchester , Liverpool and Leeds, and included students and trades unionists.

Speakers included Weyman Bennett: Joint Secretary UAF, Ruquayyah Collector: NUS Black Students' Officer, Alec McFadden: North West TUC, Pete Marsden: Blackpool Unison, Mark Barker: Vice-Chair Regional PCS, Paul Jenkins: Barrow and South Cumbria UAF and Mike Killian: Manchester UAF.

Following the rally at the entrance of the Winter Gardens the anti-fascist crowd marched through the town centre, distributing leaflets en route, to the New Kimberley Hotel which was holding the secret BNP conference. The support from the local community for the rally and march was very positive and one local restaurant, on route, even offered free coffee for all of those who had been protesting in the cold of a Blackpool November.

In all over 2000 leaflets were distributed on the day urging Blackpool residents to say no to fascists organising in Blackpool. Despite numerous appeals from leaders of Blackpool City Council for hotels to deny the BNP a venue in the town, and warnings that unions would boycott any venue that provided the BNP with space for any reason, the management of the New Kimberley decided to hold the conference for the BNP and tried to hide that fact from Unite Against Fascism supporters.

Unite received information that there were 50-60 fascists including BNP security were in the conference -a far cry from the 500 the BNP claimed would be attending. A rally with speeches took place directly in front of the BNP's hotel venue , as the crowed chanted “the BNP are a nazi party” and “say it loud say it clear nazi’s are not welcome hear”.

The speakers urged for a permanent boycott of the New Kimberley Hotel by all trade unions and the NUS. Wherever fascists organise, as they did in Blackpool, UAF aims to show that the majority of people in society oppose the fascist BNP, and their politics of hate.

Upcoming events

"The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx"

Open forum

Thursday, November 30th
1pm
Mc Ausland Lounge, Guild of Students

Marx stands with Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau and Mill as one of the greatest political philosophers of all time. His influence today on such diverse subjects as literary theory, sociology, international relations, critical theory, .... and many more... is still massive. But most of all, his ideas still guide revolutionary socialists today. Come to our open forum and discuss what you make of Marx.

Guild Council meeting

Thursday, November 30th
5.15pm
Harold Wilson Room, Guild of Students

At the next Guild Council meeting, we will be trying to get four Student RESPECT motions passed. If they pass, they will be sent to NUS conference to form part of Student RESPECT's motions to conference. So it is vital that there is as large a turn out as is possible at the next Guild Council meeting, as the motions we're putting through (on education, the 'war on terror', the BNP and Islamophobia, and building fighting unions) are progressive and so many students will suport them, but we need to get that message to the Guild councillors who are eligible to vote.

Come along to Guild Council on the 30th -- and tell them that we want to make a real difference to student politics, that we want to have a fighting NUS, and that we're going to build a mass movement of students against Bush and Blair's wars, racism and privatisation!

Student RESPECT Conference

Student RESPECT, of which SWSS is a member, will be having its first annual conference since it formed a little over a year ago. It will be held on Saturday December 3rd in London at SOAS.

"WAR & IMPERIALISM are tearing apart the planet while climate change threatens all our futures. This is your opportunity to debate the way forward and help shape the way we fightback. With plenaries to debate the big ideas and workshops to discuss how we implement our strategy on the campuses." [From the RESPECT website - www.respectcoalition.org]

If you want to go, then email liverpoolswss@hotmail.com or liverpoolrespectstudents@hotmail.com, or call 07734089074 asap!

Welcome to this new blog!

This blog aims to keep all activists updated on the latest news and upcoming events at the University of Liverpool.

This blog was inspired by www.manchesterswss.blogspot.com.