AFTER THE huge success of the anti-racist carnival in Manchester in August, the Anti Nazi League (ANL) is launching Love Music Hate Racism as a national campaign. We want to use it to target the areas where groups like the Nazi BNP and NF are trying to grow. Music is a very good way of getting people involved in the fight against the Nazis. Lots of people are getting in touch and saying, ‘Manchester was great – we want to do something in our area.’ There have been gigs in Barrow-in-Furness and Oldham. There are others coming up in Huddersfield, Burnley and Blackburn. The leader of Sunderland council has approached us to set something up there. Trade unions are getting involved.
The national launch of the Love Music Hate Racism campaign is taking place in London on Friday 6 December and in Manchester on Saturday 7 December. Big acts like Heartless Crew and Tim Westwood are playing. It’s a bit like the original Rock Against Racism from the 1970s. We want artists to take responsibility, do stuff and take a lead against racism.
We want the launch to feed into a whole series of events against the Nazis. People know racism is on the increase again and are really concerned. A whole layer of people – stage managers, DJs, musicians, web designers – have become involved.
We’re hoping to get a CD out for April next year with exclusive tracks by bands like Doves, Faithless and Coldcut. This will combine with the ‘Don’t vote Nazi’ campaign in the local council, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections. Two of the Nazi BNP councillors in Burnley are up for re-election. We’re in the process of organising a Love Music Hate Racism carnival in Burnley for spring next year.
If we double the population of Burnley for an anti-racist event it will be a huge blow to the BNP’s racist campaign.
London launch party, Friday 6 December, 10pm-6am, Ocean, Mare Street, Hackney. Tickets are £15, available from Ocean (phone 020 8533 0111) or Ticketmaster (020 7314 2800), with all proceeds going towards the campaign.
Manchester launch party, Saturday 7 December, Contact Theatre, Oxford Road. Tickets £5 on the door.
For more information phone the ANL on 020 7924 0333 or go to www.anl.org.uk. You can also check out the Love Music Hate Racism website at www.lmhr.org.uk
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