As the body representing thousands of trade union members in Islington, the home of the newly elected London mayor and one of the boroughs adjoining Finsbury Park where the annual Rise Festival is due to be held on 13 July, Islington Trades Union Council (ITUC) deplores Boris Johnson’s decision to abandon the festival’s anti-racist message.

Perhaps the decision is not surprising, given that it was made by someone who forced to apologise for describing Africans as having “watermelon smiles” and writing of “picanninies”.

It is, however, an insult to the vast majority of Londoners who take great pride in their city’s cultural diversity and value the opportunity provided by Rise to come together in solidarity to enjoy music from all over the world and show their opposition the minority of racists in our communities and their attempts to divide us.

The Rise Festival was originally organised in 1996 by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in the wake of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence and has been held every year since, supported by Johnson’s predecessor as mayor, Ken Livingstone, as well as the trades unions and the National Assembly Against Racism. We do not intend to allow Johnson to hijack the festival and rid it of its anti-racist message.

ITUC also condemns Boris Johnson’s decision to bar the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and its popular Big Cuba Fiesta stage from this year’s event which can only be described as a nasty act of petty political censorship. We welcome the Unite union’s withdrawal of financial support for the Latin American Stage at Rise and the vote by Unison national conference to withhold funding from Rise.

ITUC Chairperson and Communications Workers Union (CWU) national executive member, Gary Heather, commented: “The CWU has condemned the decision of the London mayor to remove the anti-racism theme from RISE. We are currently considering various options such as leafleting the festival with a trade union message of anti-racism and exposing Boris Johnson’s right wing views”.

For further information telephone:
Ken Muller on 07950075088
Or Gary Heather on 07918170901

Release Date: 6/26/2008 11:20 AM