A tribute to those who stood up to the extreme right. 
The Clash, X-Ray Spex, Steel Pulse, The Tom Robinson Band, Asian Dub
Foundation, Billy Bragg what do these past and present bands have in common?
They are just some of the bands that have supported an anti-racist agenda
and have not been afraid to raise their heads above the parapet.
Do you remember what Britain was like in the 70s and early 80s when the
National Front was gaining in popularity? The extreme right seemed to be
lurking around every street corner and in dark alleys waiting to pick on the
minorities and woe be tide to you if you had a turban on, or wore the
traditional salwar-kameez. With your distinct headgear, national dress you
could be spotted in the West End of London from the East End of London.
Still the decent people of Britain stood up to the NF but look what happened
to one of them? Remember Blair Peach? For those who are too young or are not
aware of the race issues of Britain, Blair Peach, was a white schoolteacher
born in New Zealand, murdered on the streets of Southall on April 23rd 1979
during a demonstration for the Anti-Nazi League against the NF. The Police
the maintainers of law and order were the prime suspects in this crime.
Sadly to this day no one has been brought to justice over the his murder.
Things had to get a lot worse before it got better. On July 3rd 1981, the
Sikhs fought back and took the law in to their own hands on an unprecedented
scale. Carnage and devastation took place in the new Sikh heartland of
Southall. The Sikhs were trying to stop a gathering of the NF in a local pub
the Hamborough Tavern off the Broadway. An Asian woman was assaulted earlier
on in the day; this was the spark for the civil unrest that followed. The
meeting did not take place that night; the pub was razed to the ground.
Petrol bombs, bricks, stones, anything that could be hurled was thrown that
night aimed first primarily at the Tavern where members suspected of the
extreme right had gathered and then the Police who had to bring law and
order back on to the streets.
During the summer of 1981 across the major cities and towns of Britain riots
took place that this nation had never witnessed. I sincerely hope that that
the economic and social conditions of this country will never be as harsh to
trigger off such similar events.
This is my thanks to the decent people of Britain, from those in the public
eyes like rock bands to the ordinary citizen of Britain, thanks for sticking
up for us. With your help let us consign the extreme right of Britain to a
footnote in history. This is even more important now with the local
government elections in May and the BNP fielding more candidates than ever
before.
Jeevan
The Clash, X-Ray Spex, Steel Pulse, The Tom Robinson Band, Asian Dub
Foundation, Billy Bragg what do these past and present bands have in common?
They are just some of the bands that have supported an anti-racist agenda
and have not been afraid to raise their heads above the parapet.
Do you remember what Britain was like in the 70s and early 80s when the
National Front was gaining in popularity? The extreme right seemed to be
lurking around every street corner and in dark alleys waiting to pick on the
minorities and woe be tide to you if you had a turban on, or wore the
traditional salwar-kameez. With your distinct headgear, national dress you
could be spotted in the West End of London from the East End of London.
Still the decent people of Britain stood up to the NF but look what happened
to one of them? Remember Blair Peach? For those who are too young or are not
aware of the race issues of Britain, Blair Peach, was a white schoolteacher
born in New Zealand, murdered on the streets of Southall on April 23rd 1979
during a demonstration for the Anti-Nazi League against the NF. The Police
the maintainers of law and order were the prime suspects in this crime.
Sadly to this day no one has been brought to justice over the his murder.
Things had to get a lot worse before it got better. On July 3rd 1981, the
Sikhs fought back and took the law in to their own hands on an unprecedented
scale. Carnage and devastation took place in the new Sikh heartland of
Southall. The Sikhs were trying to stop a gathering of the NF in a local pub
the Hamborough Tavern off the Broadway. An Asian woman was assaulted earlier
on in the day; this was the spark for the civil unrest that followed. The
meeting did not take place that night; the pub was razed to the ground.
Petrol bombs, bricks, stones, anything that could be hurled was thrown that
night aimed first primarily at the Tavern where members suspected of the
extreme right had gathered and then the Police who had to bring law and
order back on to the streets.
During the summer of 1981 across the major cities and towns of Britain riots
took place that this nation had never witnessed. I sincerely hope that that
the economic and social conditions of this country will never be as harsh to
trigger off such similar events.
This is my thanks to the decent people of Britain, from those in the public
eyes like rock bands to the ordinary citizen of Britain, thanks for sticking
up for us. With your help let us consign the extreme right of Britain to a
footnote in history. This is even more important now with the local
government elections in May and the BNP fielding more candidates than ever
before.
Jeevan
