Around sixty residents of Alexandra ward, Haringey met last night in St Andrew’s church hall, to express their opposition to the British National Party, who are standing a candidate in next week’s by-election in the ward.
The meeting was called by Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey UNISON and Haringey Federation of Residents Associations to encourage and support local people in opposing racism and fascism. They delivered a leaflet to all households in the ward, urging a rejection of the BNP.
The BNP have never stood in Haringey elections before, and although in the recent GLA London wide member election they attracted only 49 votes from the ward, many present felt that we should not be complacent.
Haringey greens had a strong presence at the meeting. David Rennie (pictured above) spoke of the dangers of racism spreading through our community which has enjoyed racial harmony. He said, 'the BNP's obsession with immigrants, is ridiculous in so far as we are all immigrants – out of Africa. That most of us here have white faces is a minor matter of climate: we evolved white skin to get more Vitamin D from the sun.' Kathryn Dean pointed out that many white working class residents felt that they had no effective electoral representation, and are concerned with issues like housing. It is all too easy for the BNP to whip up tensions in the community.
Pete McAskie, Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, worried about the publicity that the local press had afforded to the BNP candidate in the forthcoming by-election. This was echoed by James Patterson, Green Party candidate in the Alexandra ward by-election, when he said ‘The BNP thrive upon controversy and publicity of any sort’.
The meeting resolved to deliver a second leaflet to residents of the ward, and to organise other protests against the fascists.
The meeting was called by Haringey Trades Union Council, Haringey UNISON and Haringey Federation of Residents Associations to encourage and support local people in opposing racism and fascism. They delivered a leaflet to all households in the ward, urging a rejection of the BNP.
The BNP have never stood in Haringey elections before, and although in the recent GLA London wide member election they attracted only 49 votes from the ward, many present felt that we should not be complacent.
Haringey greens had a strong presence at the meeting. David Rennie (pictured above) spoke of the dangers of racism spreading through our community which has enjoyed racial harmony. He said, 'the BNP's obsession with immigrants, is ridiculous in so far as we are all immigrants – out of Africa. That most of us here have white faces is a minor matter of climate: we evolved white skin to get more Vitamin D from the sun.' Kathryn Dean pointed out that many white working class residents felt that they had no effective electoral representation, and are concerned with issues like housing. It is all too easy for the BNP to whip up tensions in the community.
Pete McAskie, Green Party Parliamentary candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green, worried about the publicity that the local press had afforded to the BNP candidate in the forthcoming by-election. This was echoed by James Patterson, Green Party candidate in the Alexandra ward by-election, when he said ‘The BNP thrive upon controversy and publicity of any sort’.
The meeting resolved to deliver a second leaflet to residents of the ward, and to organise other protests against the fascists.
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