Belfast Anti Racism Vigil
antrim |
rights, freedoms and repression |
news report 
Thursday December 11, 2003 11:39
by Anti facist
The Belfast Anti Racism Network held a vigil last night
The Belfast Anti Racism Network vigil at Belfast City hall last night had about 120 people at it with loads of media coverage this morning. Loads of organisations were there with community leaders, politicans , trade unionists, student groups, human rights organisations, socialists,anarchists and others. The ethnic minority groups and support organisations were there in plenty. I think all of them were there. The Multicultural resource centre, the refugee action group, the CYAR, embrace, the Zambabwe solidarity movement, the Columbian solidarity campaign, the one world centre, the IPSC, The belfast Islamic Centre, Chinese Welfare association, The Indian community organisation, African solidarity, justice not terror, the Belfast anti war movement , the belfast travellers support groups, NICEM, the Islamic students association, I think thats nearly twenty ethnic minority support or solidarity campaigns. and there may have been more They are to hold gigs starting after christmas all around the North. A united campaign like this is what is needed that links up all groups across working class communities
Comments (6 of 6)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6One of the tv channels and some of the radio channels including cool fm said there was about 200 people at it, whatever many well done
I wandered over to the rally and was impressed by the amount of heads there however I'm Not Taken In By It.
The fact that many who I talked to afterwards felt it was just another front for the Swimmers. "O.K so the ANL didn't work here so lets start up something else...."
Don't get me wrong, I feel that there is a need for an anti racist something or other just as I believed that there is a need for an anti fascist something against certian orange marches.
The level of racism increases - 140 people participate in action and you get another moan about the SWP. By the way 'Ned' why don't you organise some alternaitve and show us how to do it. Yes the SWP are in the ARN along with many other organisations in particular from the ethnic communities. The response has been great, the mainstream media included. Why is it that indymedia is becoming a turn-off - the capitalist media seem to have better angle than the so called radical one. This is the first action on a collective basis for a decade or so. It's a step forward. Now piss off Ned and go and moan in oblivion.
Many people said it was a front for the SWP, so speaks the wanderer.
Given the fact that most of the Ethnic support groups, human rights organisations and trade unionists there are very active in the ARN and in constant contact with the Belfast SWP, within the ARN and outside it , and the fact that the belfast SWP activists have been formally invited to many of their Christmas parties and social events maybe 'wanderer' should wonder who he was talking to, I could have a good idea though.
A united approach like this is what is needed to tackle the rise in racism and of course there will be those that 'wander' along and critise or condemn, but the sucesses to date and the continual success to come will be done by the many many organisations who have and will put in the back work and who have to date worked together and will continue to do so, seeing the problem as being at racism and not with eachother and working therefore collectively to fight it.
d'oh
You ask were any Jewish groups invited.
How many are there in Belfast, know it all? Bearing in mind that there is probably only about 150 jews in Belfast.
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