On 15 August, for the second year running, anti-fascists staged a mass demonstration against the British National Party’s “Red, White and Blue Festival”. The demonstration, called by the regional TUC, local anti-fascist campaigns and the Unite Against Fascism group, mobilised 1500 protestors to rural Derbyshire for a day of action against the BNP.

Shortly after the event, BNP deputy leader Simon Darby told the press that they would be considering another venue next year — a sign of their considerable discomfort at the protest.

The RWB is the BNP’s biggest annual event, attracting over one thousand members and supporters and drawing in leading fascists from across Europe. The fascists use the event to to recruit new members. The BNP themselves describe the event as a “family festival” aimed at celebrating the “British” cultural traditions. Judging by the attractions and activities on offer over the weekend — including the opportunity to throw wet sponges at an Obama effigy, and listening to speeches by the Italian neo-fascist Roberto Fiore — the BNP’s definition of “culture” is nothing more than white supremacism.

As a result of direct pressure from Amber Valley activists on the Home Office, US white supremacist Preston Wiginton was barred from entry to the country to attend the festival.

Anti-fascists began gathering early in the morning in nearby Codnor, with the aim of maintaining a protest as BNP supporters arrived at the festival. Official trade union delegations (including from Notts NUT), local groups and residents mainly gathered at this point.

Speaking from the platform Pete Radcliff, one of the organisers representing Notts Stop the BNP, told the protest, “We need mass action and build democratic local campaigns with real roots in the working class and broader community.” The Notts Stop the BNP campaign marched behind a banner reading “Jobs and Homes not Racism”.

An important result of last year’s action was the formation of a local organisation — Amber Valley Campaign Against Racism and Fascism — to fight the BNP and again this year local residents and campaigners were given the opportunity to speak out at an open rally run throughout the morning.

At the same time, some hundreds of people organised by UAF gathered separately to blockade the road leading to the RWB festival grounds. Their actions disrupted the start of the BNP’s event, preventing supporters and speakers from arriving on time. This was a positive activity, it was just a pity that UAF acted unilaterally, without coordinating with the local campaigns.

Later the main demonstration marched close to the entrance of the festival grounds. After some jostling from UAF, local campaigners from Amber Valley and Derby led the demonstration for the bulk of the procession.

As the march neared the entrance to the lane where the festival was being staged, and joined with a second group of anti-fascists who had been blockading the road, large numbers of black and white youth took up the chant, “The workers, united, will never be defeated!” It was an inspirational and emotional part of the day.

One local activist celebrated the protest and thanked those that had come to demonstrate their opposition to the BNP. She said, “The unions and left have made an important step forward today. We mobilised significant numbers to oppose the fascists. Now we need a real, open, democratic and radical campaign at national level.”

That’s right. Let’s take inspiration from this march and the direct action which disrupted the BNP’s event and learn the lessons for wherever the BNP turn up with their festival of hate next year.