Notts Stop The BNP held a conference in Nottingham to discuss how to counter the threat from the British National Party (BNP) and the English Defence League (EDL). The conference was organised with the support of Workers Liberty. There were Delegates from Stoke, Lincoln, Liverpool, Sheffield, Amber Valley, Birmingham, London and Nottingham - many of whom were members of local anti-fascist organisations, or unions. The RMT had a good turnout.

The following resolution, submitted by Jubilee South & East London Line branch and seconded by Hammersmith & City branch, was carried unanimously by the March meeting of the Regional Council.

This region notes:

Thousands of UAF supporters gathered in Bolton to oppose the English Defence League on Saturday. The protest was strengthened by striking taxi workers protesting at the EDL coming to their city. It was a magnificent display of anti-fascism. We outnumbered the EDL by 4 to 1.

The 'Union's Forum' is being held on Sunday 11th April 18.30 -20.30, at Broadway Theatre, Broadway, Barking, IG11 7LS. (Map)

Hope not Hate and Billy Bragg will be attending the Forum which will discuss the consequences of the BNP strengthening its grip and the positive alternative of uniting the local community to fight for jobs, social housing and public services.

Read the full story to see the message from General Secretary Bob Crow about this event.

The English Defence League (EDL), a far right 'anti-Islamist' group has accused the RMT of preventing a member of the league's LGBT division from taking part in a protest against 'Islamic homophobia'. In an article on the EDL website, the group condemns the RMT for organising a counter-demonstration.

URGENT MESSAGE FROM UNITE AGAINST FASCISM
________________________________________
UNITE AGAINST FASCISM
Emergency protest against the EDL in London this Friday
Assemble 11am, Friday 5 March
Houses of Parliament, London

For more information please call 020 7801 2782 or visit the UAF website

on www.uaf.org.uk

The English Defence League (EDL) will be marching in London on Friday 5 March in support of the far right Dutch MP Geert Wilders who is visiting the House of Lords to whip up hatred against Muslims.

From local anti-fascist group, Redbridge and Epping Forest Together ...

Our next outing is this Thursday 17 December from 5-7pm. This time we will give out leaflets about Nick Griffin’s absurd role as a climate change denier at the Copenhagen summit (“He does not speak for us”) and reporting “BNP man guilty of terrorism”: the case of BNP member Terence Gavan who “made and stockpiled 54 nail and ball-bearing bombs”, “manufactured shotguns, pen guns and pistols at his home” and was “found in possession of ammunition, a manual on booby-traps” and “an improvised munitions handbook”.

Assemble at Upney station.

The fascist BNP - who would ban trade unions if they ever came to power - plan to hold a rally at Upney station TODAY (Thursday 19th) at 7pm.

RMT's London Transport Regional Council has called a counter demonstration for 6pm at Upney station to prevent this racist and fascist group sowing divisions amongst the local community and workforce to further their own political ends.

The organisers write ...

The Harrow Times website is reporting that "The event [the protest against the mosque] is being advertised through social networking website Facebook where 206 people say they will go, 560 say they might go and 1,120 are yet to reply." It has been taken off the English Defence League and British Defence League websites, but some of these facebook groups are sponsored by them and by similar groups. One belongs to a woman who asks people to contact her if they want to take part and advertises herself as a "fan" of Nick Griffin, the BNP and Enoch Powell. The EDL is the group that rampaged through Luton, where they were not opposed, smashing the windows of Asian owned shops and shouting abuse at Muslims. We cannot allow them to march unopposed through Harrow. If they get away with doing that, they will be back for more.

This resolution, submitted by Neasden and seconded by TfL no.1, was carried unanimously by the September meeting of the Regional Council.

More information here.

Coaches will take protesters from London to Codnor, Derbyshire. RMT's London Transport Regional Council will fund members to travel to the protest on coaches organised by other bodies eg. Trades Councils.

Barnet TUC has booked a 33 seat coach, which is scheduled to pick up in Finchley Central then Edgware, before travelling to Codnor to reach there at 11am. They expect to leave Codnor at about 4pm.

This conference takes place in Manchester.

This resolution, submitted by LU Engineering branch, was passed unanimously by the July meeting of the Regional Council.

This Region region totally condemns the activities of the racists and facists that call themselves the BNP.

To this end this region will:
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join the protest in Codnor Derbyshire, against the Red, White and Blue Fascist "festival" organised by the BNP in Derbyshire on Saturday 15th August.
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It will also produce badges for its Region's members "LT Region aginst Racism" (The LU Engineering Branch agrees to donate £500 to the cost)
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Your help can stop the BNPs national billboard campaign.

Clear Channel – an outdoor advertising agency – have sold the BNP adverts on billboards across the country – they’re financially profiting from the BNP’s vicious campaign.

We are asking all our supporters to send a message to Clear Channel – demanding that they take down the BNP’s racist propaganda.

After you send your letter we will keep you up to date with details about this and other campaigns.

Please log into http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/speakout/integrity to register your support.

Thirty years ago, during the run up to the election in which Thatcher triumphed, the fascist National Front arranged a public meeting in the centre of Southall - an open racist provocation to the overwhelmingly asian local community. On the day of this meeting there was a mass shut down of shops, factories and businesses and peaceful occupation of our own streets by the local community. Protests to the Council that they should deny the NF use of our town hall were ignored and so the community blockaded its own streets.

From 'Hope Not Hate' ...

The BNP are preparing a high profile billboard campaign claiming that Jesus Christ would support their policies of racism and hate were He on earth today.

Statements like these - designed to cause offence and whip up interfaith tension - show the reality behind the BNP's politics of fear. They are exploiting words of peace, love and justice as camouflage for their bigotry. Help us unite 10000 people against them in the next 24 hours!