Boris branded as ‘irresponsible’ by Rise Festival campaigners
The campaigners spearheading the charge for the anti-racism music event Rise Festival to be reinstated claim the Mayor’s cancellation of the event is irresponsible, and plays into the hands of the BNP, fuelling their ambition to win a seat in the forthcoming European election.
Finsbury Park residents Freya Van Lessen and Mike Barnard instigated the campaign to save Rise Festival and it’s anti-racism message, calling on supporters to back their campaign by signing an online petition and joining a group on Facebook called “UpRise: Save Rise Festival”. With the European election on 4th June, the campaigners believe Boris Johnson has, with one hand taken away the event that enabled Londoner’s of all cultures to come together in a united stand against racism and, with the other, given the BNP ammunition for their campaign that opposes racial integration.
Campaign organiser Freya said: “Boris has made two big mistakes: he removed Rise Festival’s anti-racism message and then cancelled the event without listening to the views of the people he is supposed to serve.
His actions have effectively gagged Londoners from expressing their intolerance of racism and celebrating the contributions of different communities to the capital, at an event that was Europe’s largest anti-racism festival.”
Campaign spokesperson Mike Barnard added: “With the European election taking place next month, our nation’s capital and its Mayor should be setting an example to the rest of the country, showing how people of all ethnicities and backgrounds live together. Our message to Boris is unequivocal: bring back Rise Festival and reinstate its anti-racism message.”
The campaign to save Rise Festival has over 1,000 supporters including David Lammy MP, Simon Hughes MP, Chuka Umunna and the chair of the London Assembly, Jennette Arnold, who will be presenting the petition to the Mayor on behalf of the campaigners on 21st May. Commenting on the campaign, Umunna said: “The decision to cancel the Rise Festival at a time when all mainstream political parties, including the Mayor’s own party, are fighting to prevent the rise of the far right in the forthcoming European Elections is crazy – he should think again.”
