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Islington Tribune - by TOM FOOT
Published: 27 June 2008

Mayor ‘censors’ Rise festival

LONDON Mayor Boris Johnson has been plunged into a row over attempts to strip the Rise festival in Finsbury Park of its anti-racist message.
The Trades Union Congress and unions Unite and Unison have withdrawn £60,000 funding for an event unions helped set up as a dedication to Stephen Lawrence and other black victims of racist attacks.
They say funding was available on condition that the festival, to be staged on Sunday, July 13, retained its anti-racist focus.
But the Mayor’s director of cultural policy, Munira Mirza, has said it is “no longer appropriate to have overtly political campaigning groups involved”. The National Assembly Against Racism, which has featured in the music event since 1996, and Cuba Solidarity Campaign have been told they cannot attend.
Islington Trades Union Council has condemned the action as “a nasty act of petty political censorship”. Chairman Gary Heather said: “We are considering various options, such as leafleting the festival with a trade union message of anti-racism and exposing Boris Johnson’s right-wing views”.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “Boris is unequivocal that racism has no place in the city. The unions were not the primary funders. The majority of costs are covered by the Greater London Authority and London Development Agency, and other sponsors remain involved.”

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Hang in there Boris. It's now cumuppance time for the 'lefties'. That they are all 'blag' and 'no brains' is now obvious, even to the fat, football freesheets.
Peter Crombie