Windrush, Missile Defence and Rathayatra – 2008 On Sunday 22 June 2008 I photographed two occasions celebrating anniversaries in London in addition to a protest supporting Czech starvation strikers who – like 70% of the Czech individuals – had been opposing the constructing of an American radar base close to Prague – a part of the US Missile Defence system.
Empire Windrush – sixtieth Anniversary – Clapham Widespread
Sixty years beforehand, on June 22, 1948, the SS Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury, bringing 492 Caribbeans – a lot of who had served within the British armed forces throughout the struggle – from Jamaica to start out a brand new life in England. That they had paid £28 10s (£28.50) for the passage and had been the primary massive group of settlers from the Empire to come back to reside within the ‘Mom Nation’.
The occasions celebrating this in 2008 now appear very low key and that on the bandstand near the Clapham South deep stage shelter on the sting of Clapham Widespread the place a lot of them got non permanent housing was considered one of a number of organised by Christian Assist, along with the Windrush Belief and Church buildings Collectively in South London.
Subsequent yr would be the seventy fifth anniversary and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how that is celebrated. The years since 2008 have been marked by revelations in regards to the horrible remedy by our authorities of the Windrush technology and their households, affected by the hostile atmosphere, deportations and racism promoted by the Dwelling Workplace. No matter celebrations there are will I believe be reasonably extra political, and possibly higher attended.
In 2008 the occasion celebrated the nice contribution made by the Caribbean group to life on this nation, and had been reminded of the contribution of Clapham to the struggle towards slavery, however started with comparatively little in regards to the racist remedy that they had acquired right here, and which was about to be ratcheted up formally when the Tories got here to energy.
This modified in the direction of the top of the occasion when Mark Sturge, former director of African Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, talked in regards to the contribution black majority church buildings had made within the UK. He reminded us that Black immigrants had been confronted with discrimination at virtually each flip, with notices “No Blacks, No Irish, No canines” and different insults. Many got here from spiritual backgrounds and turned to the largely white church buildings, and likewise discovered they had been seldom welcome there. They turned the pioneers of black-led church buildings, which supplied an essential assist, not simply faith, but in addition in training and different areas of life, serving to them to withstand and struggle towards discrimination.
We had additionally received a style of the way it had been when Jacqueline Walker, who arrived in Britain as a younger youngster a couple of years later in 1959, gave us an perception into what arriving within the nation felt like, with readings from her e book ‘Pilgrim State’.
Empire Windrush – sixtieth Anniversary
fortieth Rathayatra Chariot Pageant in London – Hyde Park to Trafalgar Sq.
The day was additionally the fortieth annual Rathayatra Chariots Pageant in London, which noticed Krishna within the type of Jagannatha, his half-sister Subhadra, and Balarama her brother carried on big chariots pulled by means of the streets of London by Hare Krishna devotees.
You’ll be able to see extra photos from one other yr in different posts on My London Diary and right here within the latest put up Ten Years In the past – Chariots & Custody Deaths.
fortieth Rathayatra Chariot Pageant in London
No to US Missile Defence – Help Czech Starvation Strike – Downing St
Though I condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine each in 2014 when the struggle there started and its escalation since February, actions by the West together with the establishing of an American radar base close to Prague as part of the US Missile Defence system do present some clarification for the Russian fears which have led to the present horrible scenario.
70% of the Czech individuals apparently had been towards the constructing of the radar base, and a few had gone on a starvation strike towards it. CND held a rally and all-day quick on Whitehall reverse Downing Avenue to point out their assist. They included well-known peace campaigners comparable to CND chair Kate Hudson and veteran protester Pat Arrowsmith.
Tags: 60 years, sixtieth anniversary, Balarama, black majority church buildings, black-led church buildings, Chariot Pageant, chariots, Christian Assist, Church buildings Collectively, Clapham Widespread, CND, Czech starvation strikers, deportations, discrimination, quick, Hare Krishna, Dwelling Workplace, hostile atmosphere, starvation strike, Jacqueline Walker, Jagannatha, Kate Hudson, London, Pat Arrowsmith, peter Marshall, Prague, protest, racism, radar base, Rathayatra, Subhadra, US Missile Defence, vigil, Windrush, Windrush Belief
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