Stand As much as Racism & Kites Not Drones – 2014

Stand As much as Racism & Kites Not Drones: On Saturday 22 March 2014, the day following UN Anti-Racism Day (chosen to recollect the 69 individuals killed by police within the Sharpeville bloodbath in South Africa on 21 March 1960), the TUC and Unite Towards Fascism organised a march and rally as part of a European day of motion towards racism.

1000’s – maybe as many as 20,000 – turned as much as march the brief distance from Previous Palace Yard reverse parliament to a protracted rally in Trafalgar Sq. – on My London Diary I listing 19 audio system, although I feel there have been just a few extra on the day, however I didn’t cease to hearken to all of them, going as a substitute to Hyde Park the place a smaller protest by peace activists tried with out a lot success to fly kites in in solidarity with the individuals of Afghanistan.

Stand As much as Racism – Westminster

This protest stood out for the big selection of individuals and organisations who had come to hitch it, “lots of whom are sickened by the anti-immigrant insurance policies of successive governments and opposition events who’ve lengthy been engaged in making an attempt to outdo one another within the ‘toughness’ of their immigration insurance policies, and have lately moved even additional to the suitable in an effort to neutralise the political risk of UKIP and Nigel Farage.”

And since 2014 the principle events have saved transferring to the suitable. We proceed to see this scapegoating of immigrants within the insurance policies each of the present authorities and its latest Tory predecessors, notably within the campaigns and laws towards those that cross the channel in small boats, but in addition in restrictions on those that declare asylum right here and the harassment being suffered by many who’ve made their lives right here and contributed to our society however are actually threatened by deportation, dragging them away from households and associates. Nonetheless now we have not arrange protected routes for asylum seekers to come back to Britain, nonetheless now we have not provided amnesties to those that have labored right here and made helpful and important contribution right here for years.

I photographed most of the marchers in Parliament Sq., the place the march had been deliberate to begin near the statue of Nelson Mandela who had celebrated “the perfect of a democratic and free society during which all individuals reside collectively in concord and equal alternatives” because the purpose of the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa.

Some posed in entrance on the grass with ‘Massive Ben’ within the background, a reputation I like to make use of because it annoys pedants, however is what everybody besides them nonetheless calls the clock tower which Wikipedia describes as “some of the outstanding symbols of the UK and parliamentary democracy.”

Amongst these participating had been individuals from our Roma and Muslim communities who bear no duties for our nation’s present issues and undergo greater than most from them whereas on the identical time being blamed by the racist proper for them.

“Specifically now we have seen many selling concern and hate of Muslims associating the entire group with the acts of a tiny few. Islamophobia is rife and has led to extra assaults on the Muslim inhabitants, together with homicide and violent assaults on mosques. “

Extra from 2014 on My London Diary at Stand As much as Racism.

Kites Not Drones Solidarity with Afghanistan – Hyde Park

This protest by peace activists was a part of a weekend of solidarity with the Afghan individuals who historically have fun their New Yr (Now Ruz) on the Spring Equinox by flying kites. (Till 1752 the New Yr started at across the identical time in Britain and its colonies on Girl Day March twenty fifth.)

In 2014 I quoted the organisers assertion:

‘Kite flying has turn out to be synonymous with Afghanistan as a nicely cherished pursuit which was banned beneath the Taliban, now Afghans are extra used to the presence of UK armed and surveillance drones flying overhead.’

‘We’re encouraging peace teams, Afghans within the UK and the Muslim group to fly kites in solidarity with Afghans who now must reside beneath the psychological stress and bodily destruction which British drones (at the moment operated from RAF Waddington, Lincoln) now reap upon Afghanistan.’

None of these participating appeared to have had any earlier expertise in truly flying kites, and though the photographers current helped, the gusty circumstances solely allowed some brief and erratic flights, with one kite getting caught up a tree. For as soon as a police officer was sympathetic, and having come throughout to inform the protesters that flying kites was not allowed on this or the opposite Royal Parks advised them that as long as they stayed on this empty space of the park and weren’t a nuisance to others he wouldn’t cease them.

Extra at Kites Not Drones Solidarity with Afghanistan.

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Tags: 2014, Afghanistan, anti-immigrant insurance policies, asylum seekers, borders company, deportation, drone atttacks, harassment, hyde park, Islamophobia, kite flying, kites, Kites Not Drones, London, march, Maya Evans, Muslims, Nelson Mandela, New Yr, no human is illegitimate, no protected routes, nowruz, Previous Palace Yard, peace activists, peter Marshall, police, protest, racism, racist legal guidelines, Roma, Solidarity with Afghanistan, stand as much as racism, Trafalgar Square2012, TUC, Unite Towards Fascism

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