Anti-BNP protesters say, “Hope not hate”

On Sunday 29 November, campaigners gathered at Camp Hill ward in Nuneaton in the hopes of pushing back the British National Party (BNP)’s influence in the area.

The reason behind this renewed local campaign was the “shock” decision of BNP councillor Darren Haywood to step down from his position as representative of Camp Hill ward after only 17 months.

Haywood cited “work commitments” as being behind his decision to resign, leading opponents and residents alike to question why he wanted the position of councillor in the first place.

While his resignation may have come as a surprise to many residents, Haywood’s political rivals claimed that he failed to serve his constituents at the level they deserved. Andrew Burtenshaw, leader of the Nuneaton Conservatives was reported by the Nuneaton News to have said: “The people of Camp Hill have been let down by a faceless BNP councillor. Up and down the country, BNP councillors have a shocking record of failing to deliver for the residents they serve.”

Due to Haywoods departure, a by-election will be held on Thursday 10 December. For this reason, the activist group Hope not Hate held the 29 November event to distribute a “hard-hitting local leaflet” and raise local awareness about the nature of the BNP.

Concern about the influence of the BNP at the local level has become even more important to campaigners since the party’s success at this year’s European Elections, in which the extreme-right party won its two first seats.

By doing their utmost to warn residents of Camp Hill ward of the racist anti-immigrant policies of the BNP, Hope not Hate aimed to prevent the party from installing another of their representatives in the position.

Combating the BNP and its intolerant values is a priority of Welfare Officer Sami Wannell, who was interviewed by the Guardian last month about racism on campus.

While “overt racism” is not seen as being a problem at Warwick, hundreds of students live off-campus, where they are not protected by the ‘bubble’.

Sami mentioned that while the majority of students are against the BNP, “getting them to vote is a major problem,” as much of the anti-racism work that Warwick does is “behind the scenes…Unfortunately, you’re only likely to know about it if you become a victim.”

The likelihood of becoming a victim is rising. The number of hate crimes reported to the West Midlands Police has grown by almost a third in the last five years, mirrored by the increase in popularity of the BNP in the region.

Initiatives such as the campaign at Camp Hill, as well as the monthly demonstration held outside the Immigrant Removal Centre in Campsfield, are becoming more important than ever in the fight against racism across the United Kingdom.

A reversal in the current student apathy would make a huge difference according to Sami, who attended the demonstration in Campsfield along with seven Warwick students:

“When issues like immigration are used by mainstream political parties as ways of fuelling xenophobia and ‘socially acceptable’ racism, it is more important now than ever to make sure students get involved with anti-racist work.

“At Warwick, given the range of backgrounds our campus encompasses, I can’t really see many people better placed to tackle this issue head-on”.

If students are interested in getting involved, some useful websites to look at are: www.hopenothate.org.uk.