Gscene News Archive

A large crowd of demonstrators rallied outside Hove train station last night (Wednesday, 10), after news leaked that the British National Party (BNP) were intending to set up a new branch of the party in Hove.

BNP supporters had been told by email to meet at Hove Train Station at 7.30pm were they would be met and taken to a secret location in Hove for a meeting.

A coalition of Brighton & Hove Trades Council, Brighton & Hove Trade Unions including Unison and the Public and Commercial Service Union (PCS), representatives from Students Unions, politicians from the Labour Party and Green Party and representatives from Love Music, Hate Racism rallied at very short notice to demonstrate their opposition to the BNP setting up in Brighton and Hove.

Nobody identified themselves as members of the BNP.

Various speakers including former leader of Brighton and Hove Council and Labour candidate for Kemp Town, Simon Burgess addressed the crowd who dispersed quietly around 8.30pm.

Simon Burgess, Labour candidate for Kemp Town said,
"It was very heartening to see that so many politically diverse people could come together at such short notice, in freezing weather, to give a loud message to the BNP that they are not welcome in our city.

"Though the BNP still pedals the same old message of hate they are better these days at selling themselves as reasonable. It's vital that all of us who want a diverse and inclusive city spread the truth about them so that they can not get any foothold here.

"They are organising now because they hope to get a south-east MEP elected - which ever party you support make sure you vote in June to stop them." www.simonburgess.co.uk

Phelim Mac Cafferty from Brighton Green Party said,
“LGBT Greens are proud to have joined the successful protest yesterday against a proposed meeting of the BNP and we will continue to oppose the BNP’s fascism and race hatred.” Stated Phelim Mac Cafferty on behalf of the Green Party LGBT Group.

“The BNP hoped and failed to use their meeting yesterday to whip up hatred against the LGBT community. Again we are reminded why it was not only crucially important for us to oppose the BNP on this occasion but more fundamentally why our opposition must now be deepened and broadened throughout the LGBT community.

“We call upon every LGBT person in Brighton and Hove to have as their first New Year’s Resolution continued opposition to the fascists. The likelihood of a prolonged economic recession and the rising cost of food and fuel could yet be the life-support machine for the BNP’s electoral strategy. This is why we must ensure that we continue to be vigilant about the BNP’s activities to ensure their politics of hatred is stopped.

“Further we must ensure that the Nazi death camps, where hundreds of thousands of LGBT people were ritually tortured and gassed and shot to death, serve as a warning from history that we can never forget.” www.lgbtgreens.org.uk

A spokesperson for the police said,
“The demonstration was very well organized and good tempered.”

The demonstration was organized by Unite Against Fascism. www.uaf.org.uk

A BNP Quiz night and social at the Ore Community Centre in Old London Road, Hastings on Monday 8 was cancelled by the manager after local representatives from the Public and Commercial Services Union pointed out that the community centre was a council owned building. Campaigners will be writing to the East Sussex County Council for an explanation and assurance that the BNP will not be welcome to use council facilities in the area in the future. www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/0F995138-D91F-4239-B06D47488681F9E3

Anti Fascist campaigners are next targeting a BNP event in Crawley this Saturday (13).