My experience of Glasgow’s attitude to grassroots Multiculturalism and Asylum Seekers
Glasgow Unity Demonstration. Source: Indymedia Scotland
By Mhairi McAlpine / @mhairi_mcalpine
One of the first things almost any English visitor to Scotland will notice almost the instant that they get off the train is how “white” our country is. Partly this is because the sun is an infrequent visitor, but compared with England, where almost 10% of the population is of minority ethnic origin, and London in particular with over 30%, Scotland is white, very white.
Leveson Enquiry devotes a mere three hours to media representation of women and Muslims
Marai Larasi, Jacqui Hunt, Anna Van Heeswijk and Heather Harvey gave evidence to the Leveson enquiry yesterday
The press remained relatively quiet about the goings on at the Leveson enquiry yesterday, and the journalists I usually follow for updates were not offering their live tweet services. Perhaps it had something to do with the topics of the day – the representation of women and Muslims in the media.
Another unsatisfying evening with Bernard Hogan-Howe
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hogan-Howe
By Zoe Stavri / @stavvers
Following my last dissatisfying evening with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, it seemed almost masochistic to sit through a similar propaganda exercise all over again. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment, though, as when presented with the opportunity to hear Hogan-Howe give a lecture on “total policing” at LSE, I felt a compulsion to go along.
Over two hundred gather at steps of St Pauls to commemorate the legacy of Dr Martin Luther King
By Koos Couvee / @kooscouvee
Over two hundred people gathered at the steps of St Pauls cathedral today to celebrate the birthday of Reverend Dr Martin Luther King, commemorate his life’s work and share their views on how Dr King’s legacy is relevant today.
The event, a collaboration of community activists, church members, trade union representatives and OccupyLSX, was co-hosted by Lee Jasper.
Was the Dale Farm eviction really “Ethnic Cleansing”?
Over the past day, weeks and months, we have witnessed an unprecedented use of force and power towards one section of an ethnic minority community based in Essex. The local police constabulary and Basildon Council have admitted that the residents of Dale Farm pose no criminal threat nor are a source of other social antagonism other than simply wanting to live among the more “settled” elements. However the “peaceful eviction” was initiated by riot police bludgeoning faces with batons and firing tasers at protestors.
This was we are led to believe part of “facilitating” the enforcement of civil law. It is clear that the state is going beyond its normal throes of oppression. “Yeah it is really bad”, a friend tells me, “but is it really ‘ethnic cleansing’? Doesn’t that hyperbole totally demean all those people that really are suffering from ethnic cleansing and genocide?”
The Savage States of America
“Capital punishment is the most premeditated of all murders”
Albert Camus
Tuesday night I, with around 300 others, answered Amnesty International’s call to hold a vigil for Troy Davis, outside the US Embassy in London. It seemed inconceivable that the world’s most powerful democracy could execute a man, especially a man whose conviction had appeared to be highly suspect. Yet the inconceivable had happened. Troy Davis was murdered by the State of Georgia on Wednesday night. US County, State and Federal judicial authorities collectively ruled that evil should prevail resulting in a man being lynched. We must soberly learn from these deeply devastating experiences in order to prevent these crimes from ever being repeated again. Lives like those of Mumia Abu Jamal, depend on it. Though Troy was failed by all, we can’t allow this brutal system to continue, the questions are for us now: what can be learned from this and what can we do next?
UK Government to cut off water supply to Traveller Community
As the launch of Camp Constant on August 27th approaches, the authorities appear poised to blockade Dale Farm.
Dale Farm Travellers Protesting outside Parliament
WATER AND ELECTRICITY TO BE CUT
The Council have released information that they intend to cut water and electricity supplies from Dale Farm after the eviction notice period expires on midnight 31st August. This will leave sick, elderly, young, and pregnant residents without access to water or electricity. Amnesty International have condemned the removal of vital water and electricity in these circumstances, and asked their supporters to put pressure on the council to cease this action which represents a serious violation of human rights. An injunction has been sought in consideration of two residents who are dependent upon a constant electricity supply for nebulisers, without access to which their lives are placed in serious jeopardy. See Amnesty’s Kartick Raj speaking to BBC Essex this week.
DESPERATE PLEA TO UN
Richard Sheridan as president of the Gypsy Council has been involved in eleventh-hour negotiations with the UN Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva; the Special Raporteur has already entreated the UK Government to cease the evictions and to ensure the families at Dale Farm are offered viable culturally appropriate alternative sites. Lord Avebury will accompany Dale Farm residents to 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 25th August to present a petition to the PM calling for the eviction to be called off.
The EDL and The Islamist Far-Right
From The Commune
Last month the English Defence League announced plans to march in Tower Hamlets, East London, in protest at an Islamist conference planned for June 20th at the Troxy centre. The conference was planned by groups tied to Islamic Forum Europe, among the major Islamist groups in the area.
Anti-racists planned to demonstrate against the EDL: but the SWP-run Unite Against Fascism and its front group United East End insisted this should be on the basis of uncritical support for — and collaboration with — the conference organisers. This meant whitewashing the worst religious fundamentalists and supporting their right to represent the Bengali community in the borough.
The Great Bustard thrives in Britain and Holland (allegedly)
News breaks in Britain this morning that the Great Bustard is once again beginning to thrive in the UK. Meanwhile mainland Europe demonstrates once again how remarkable it is for Britain not to have a strong far-right party in its parliament. In the recent Dutch 2010 general elections, The Eurosceptic Party for Freedom (PVV) led by the Islamophobic Geert Wilders, has more than doubled its seats in the national parliament to become the third largest party and possibly soon in government.
Geert Wilders - a discerning Dutch politician
Geert Wilders first gained notoriety for his film, Fitna which brought international attention and was partially responsible for his temporary ban to the United Kingdom. He was eventually allowed to enter Britain to show Fitna at the UK’s Houses of Parliament and was warmly greeted by Eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and grassroots hooligan group – The English Defence League, He was prosecuted (unsuccessfully) by the Amsterdam Appeals Court for ” the incitement to hatred and discrimination”. Mr Wilders has continued to use his right to freely express himself to be a comforting voice of support regarding the Israel Defence Force’s attack on the Turkish nationals on the Freedom Flotilla.
![Recommend [justinthelibsoc]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/arkayne-media/img/badge/logo-recommend-badge-medium.png){kind=icon}
How Abbottgate restored white victimhood in order to brush the issue of racism under the carpet
By Koos Couvee
The media storm Hackney MP Diane Abbott caused last week as a result of her ‘divide and rule’ comment on Twitter is indicative of the ways in which Britain’s political elite is still able to turn issues of race and racism to its advantage and brush the lived reality of so many black Britons under the carpet.
When Diane Abbott tweeted: “White people love playing ‘divide & rule’ We should not play their game #tacticasoldascolonialism”, she was not referring to 19th century colonialism, which is what she later said to defend her comment. Firstly, if that were the case she would have put the sentence in the past tense. Secondly, the tweet came as part of a conversation about present day politics with Hackney based freelance journalist Bim Adewunmi, who had expressed concern to Abbott about what she perceived to be the red herring ‘black community’.
Conservative blogger Harry Cole, who at times also refers to himself as a journalist, eloquently summed up the deep pain and outrage felt by white people as a result of Abbott’s tweet in his debate with race and human rights activist Lee Jasper on Sky News. He told viewers that Abbott’s comments were derogatory to an entire ethnic group, based on the colour of their skin. Indeed, Cole pointed out, racism works both ways and should not have been used as a political tool by the opportunistic Hackney MP.
Read more