Manchester is a great city to live in because of its multi-cultural
multi-ethnic character. For 2 centuries Irish, Jewish, Afro-Caribbean,
Asian and other people have enriched Manchester by coming here. Our
cosmopolitan city today contains more than a 100 different communities
and offers cultural diversity. The fascist British National Party
(BNP) would destroy this if they could.
Manchester has stood up against such threats in the past. In the 1930s, the fascist Oswald Mosley was opposed when he came to speak at Belle Vue. In the 1970s, the National Front was met with huge opposition, including marches and carnivals.
In June, due to boundary changes, every Council seat across Manchester will be up for election. The BNP may put up candidates in many wards. The same day there will be EU parliamentary elections. The BNP's Nick Griffin intends to stand for a North West England seat. The BNP focuses and feeds on the mounting attacks on asylum seekers. It seeks to divide communities on the basis of race and nationality. In Manchester, all opponents of fascism and racism need to unite against this threat.
Manchester Against Racism (MAR) has been established as a broad, united campaign to oppose the BNP. We celebrate human diversity. We demand equality and respect for all. We oppose all attacks on asylum seekers.
MAR has already gained wide support for their statement: including MUFC, Labour and Green Party councillors, Coronation Street stars, various Trade Unions and ethnic minority, faith, student and community groups. They are having a launch rally on Thursday 15 January (see p6). Speakers at the launch rally include Tony Lloyd MP, Billy Hayes (Communication Workers Union & Unite Against Fascism), Julie Hesmondhalgh from Coronation Street, Cllr Afzal Khan (Muslim Council of Britain), Fr. Gregory Hallam (St. Aidan's Orthodox Church), Weyman Bennett (Unite Against Fascism) and an asylum seeker from Manchester Committee to Defend Asylum Seekers. The theme of the rally is "unite against fascism: stop the BNP" and the immediate focus is to stop the BNP from gaining councillors in Manchester and having a Euro MP in June. At the rally, people will be able to sign up for helping in the campaign and join various subgroups (music/arts/cultural; work with young people; media; trade union; community) so we can organise a multitude of events in the coming months.
Manchester Against Racism (07903 586 191)
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