
On 15 August, for the second year running, anti-
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-
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-
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-
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.
