Unity in Stoke – Protest held against UKIP’s hate and division
Around 80 anti-racists braved the cold and wet in Hanley last night to join a demonstration, called by NorSCARF, against a rally held by UKIP featuring Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttall at the Victoria Hall.
Earlier that day while on a walk around the centre of Hanley both Farage and Nuttall were greeted and shown what Stoke residents think of their message as they were pelted with eggs.
Despite the deteriorating conditions, protesters gathered to show that Stoke is a united city that will not be divided by those inside who look to use racist rhetoric to spread hate and division.
The protest was drawn to a close following a rousing speech from NorSCARF officer Jason Hill, reminding those in attendance that it was this very same venue that 75 years ago this September, was packed out with local workers to launch the Lidice shall live campaign. They met to donate to help rebuild Lidice, a tiny village in the Czech Republic that was destroyed by the Nazis on 10 June 1942.
Stoke has a proud history of taking a stand against those who look to use hate to divide our and other communities and we will continue to oppose UKIP as they look to do the same.
Find below a photo slideshow from yesterday.
Stop UKIP in Stoke – Join the campaign
Joint NorSCARF/Stand Up To UKIP mass leafleting
11am onwards – Sunday 5th February
Please join us this weekend for a mass leafleting against UKIP leader Paul Nuttall.
Following on from our successful leafleting sessions over previous weekends where we have focused on voter registration, this weekend we will be making a big push to spread the word that UKIP and there divisive messages are not welcome in Stoke.
Please come along and help.
For the details of the leafleting session please sign up here
Unity in Stoke – Don’t let UKIP divide us
6pm onwards – Monday 6th February
Paul Nuttall and Nigel Farage are holding an event at the Victoria Hall next Monday evening to spread their message of hate and division.
We, the people of Stoke-on-Trent, must send a message to Nuttall, Farage and UKIP that we are a united city which is proud of our diverse multicultural community.
Please join us at 6pm on Monday the 6th by the Unearthed memorial between the Bus Station and the Victoria Hall.
We must show that hate has no place in Stoke.
Press release: Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election
NorSCARF, the North Staffordshire Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, today signalled its intention to campaign against the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in the forthcoming Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, scheduled for 23 February.
“UKIP’s candidate and leader Paul Nuttall does not care about the people of Stoke,” said Gary McNally, secretary of NorSCARF. “He is only interested in manipulating us for his own gain. UKIP is a party that whips up fear and hatred – and we don’t want them in Stoke.
“Nuttall wants to turn us against our neighbours by blaming migrants for all the problems in our society. Yet in reality UKIP policies would hit hard against working people from all backgrounds. Nuttall is on record arguing against the ‘very existence of the NHS’ and calling for a ‘free market’ health service.”
NorSCARF will be running a campaign across Stoke-on-Trent to remind people that they need to get out and vote if they want to stop UKIP’s toxic agenda of racism and privatisation.
NorSCARF is a grass roots organisation, established in 1977 to campaign against the racism of the National Front, it has continued to campaign against racist groups for 40 years.
NATIONAL DEMO- MARCH 18TH 2017
National Demo- Refugees and Migrants Welcome – Stand Up To Racism, Islamophobia & Anti-Semitism
From http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/
Amid a vitriolic atmosphere of anti-migrant hysteria following the EU referendum, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she will trigger article 50 by the end of March 2017 in order to “have the freedom to choose the way we control immigration.”
In a situation where migrants, Muslim women and anyone considered to be ‘foreign’ are being attacked on a daily basis and refugees are being abandoned by Britain and Europe to destitution, drowning and exploitation, there has never been a more important time in recent history to stand up to racism.
On March 18th, let’s to make the Stand Up To Racism demonstration for UN Anti-Racism Day the biggest yet, to show that Theresa May does not speak for us when she blames migrants and refugees for the problems cause by austerity and the financial crisis, and that we are united against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism
Over the past 4 years, Stand Up to Racism has organised protests in defence of migrants and refugees. At our recent conference, 1,500 participants – including Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, Lord Alf Dubs and others – launched a mass anti racist movement. Join us in London in March 2017 to stand up to racism together.
Transport details here
Organised by Stand Up to Racism – More details tbc
Stoke Central by-election
Following the resignation of sitting MP Tristram Hunt, there will be a by-election for the new Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent Central.
Racist UKIP have set their sights on taking the seat and appear set to throw considerable weight behind the campaign. It’s being reported that they are due to announce that party leader Paul Nuttall will be their candidate. Click here for reasons to oppose Paul Nuttall and UKIP.
We have to do all we can to prevent a UKIPs anti-immigrant message winning out.
What you can do
Use your vote to keep UKIP out
If you live in Stoke-on-Trent Central the most important thing you can do is use your vote against UKIP.
In order to do so, you must be registered to vote and If you are not you can do so by following the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/registertovote
(please make sure you do so soon to ensure you beat the cut-off date)
Encourage others to vote
If you have family, friends or colleagues living in Stoke-Central please make sure they are registered to vote and encourage them to use their vote against UKIP
Join us on one of our anti UKIP campaign days
NorSCARF, in conjunction with Hope not Hate has organised our first day of action on Saturday 21st January at 11pm. As the candidates are yet to be announced and voter registration is still open, for this weekend, we have decided to focus our efforts on voter registration targeting one of the wards with the lowest percentage of residents registered to vote.
We will be split into two teams, one to knock on doors and encourage voter registration and one to deliver this leaflet door to door.
If you can help either on Saturday or one of our future sessions, please contact us for details via norscarf@yahoo.co.uk or via the website here
Use social media
Please use social media for the following:
-share the link https://www.gov.uk/registertovote and encourage residents of Stoke Central to vote
-share information on anti UKIP leafleting sessions such as the one this weekend.
-share articles and information exposing the true face of UKIP
Please do what you can to STOP UKIP IN STOKE
Reasons to oppose Paul Nuttall and UKIP
He wants to privatise the NHS
In blog posts on his website, which he has since deleted but exposed by Adam Bienkov, he called for the NHS to be privatised.
“I would like to congratulate the coalition government for bringing a whiff of privatisation into the beleaguered National Health Service,”
“I would argue that the very existence of the NHS stifles competition, and as competition drives quality and choice, innovation and improvements are restricted.
“Therefore, I believe, as long as the NHS is the ‘sacred cow’ of British politics, the longer the British people will suffer with a second rate health service.”
When challenged on this, whilst appearing on the Andrew Marr show his response was “Nothing should be a sacred cow in British politics.”
He denies climate change
He claims that climate change is a “hair brained theory” and “a money led scam”.
On his website he claims “Figures used to ‘support’ the idea of climate change have been shown to be false and manipulated to meet a pre-made conclusion in order to secure funding,”
“I think we all need to be assured about the credibility and motivation of scientists onboard the global warming wagon.”
He wants to ban the Burqa
In an interview with the Express he claimed “Should we follow this and ban the burqa in this country? Yes.”
“The law should be clear – either you are allowed to express your religious beliefs at all times, or you accept that there are some occasions where these are restricted. Face coverings should be banned in any public building.”
He wants to give a huge tax cut to the rich
He advocates a flat rate of 31% for all taxpayers, claiming “I think that is fair, and we all pay the same rate”
This would lead to a massive tax cut for the rich, and see millionaires paying the same rate as those on the minimum wage.
He is anti-abortion
In a interview on SKY news he stated his desire to hold a referendum on reducing the legal period for abortions and is in favour of limiting abortions to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
See our post on what you can do to oppose Paul Nuttall in the upcoming by election in Stoke Cental
Black Lives Matter protest closes London City Airport runway
Black Lives Matter protesters have occupied a runway at London City Airport this morning causing disruption resulting in the closure of the runway.
Black Lives Matter UK issued a statement which read: “This action was taken in order to highlight the UK’s environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally.”
More information can be found in this article on the Independent
