‘My son was killed by a knife but he was failed by the system’

Leon Francis was just 24 years old when he was fatally stabbed in December last year.

He was a bright young man, adored by his family and treasured by his friends. Yet life had not been easy for Leon. He was excluded from his Birmingham school aged 15, and without proper help he drifted into crime and then a prison sentence. On release, Leon was determined to turn his life around and plan a future away from crime. But every effort Leon made to do this was met with failure or contempt by the very bodies that were supposed to help him. Following Leon’s death some of the press chose to demonise him.

This week Jackie Ranger, Leon’s mother, speaks to Socialist Worker to set the story straight.

My eldest child Leon was only 24 when he was stabbed to death in December last year. Our family and friends are still devastated at his untimely death, but we are campaigning for justice for Leon, and to make sure that his name is not discredited.

We want him to be remembered for the person he was. Sadly Leon’s story is indicative of the destructive paths that some of our young people find themselves trapped on.My son was no angel. He made some mistakes throughout his short life, but it is important to know that 2007 had been a year of reflection and transition for him. He realised that he had to change and he kept trying to turn his life around right until the day that he died.

Leon brought joy and laughter throughout his life and was a popular young man with a potentially bright future ahead of him. He was extremely loyal to his family and friends and greatly valued his close relationships. His troubles began when he was permanently excluded from school aged 15. Sadly it was a downward spiral from there.

Exclusion

Inadequate post exclusion support contributed to the choices that Leon made. He blindly entered a life of crime and went to prison for five years for attempted armed robbery. To this day I question if Leon really understood the seriousness of the offence that he committed and the consequences it would have on his life – he was after all still a child at the time.

Leon’s imprisonment was an extremely traumatic period for all his family, but more so for Leon himself. He often tried to mask the pain of the injustice he felt at being excluded from school, and subsequently excluded from society. As a parent it was important that I did not allow him to minimise his responsibility for what he had done, while acknowledging the way social factors contributed to his predicament.

Leon himself understood he had done wrong and was remorseful. During his sentence Leon was transferred between prisons more than 15 times. He was also placed in some difficult situations – a poignant and most insensitive ordeal was being jailed on the same wing as the man who killed his fiancée’s brother.

Nonetheless, Leon remained extremely resilient, striving to remain positive about the future. While incarcerated he gained some qualifications and was determined to lead a more productive life after his release in 2006. Due to the nature of his offence, and the political climate around “gangs” at the time, Leon was released with extremely strict conditions about where he could go and what he could do which impacted on his human rights.

In April 2007 he was wounded after being shot in the head while in his “exclusion zone”. He reluctantly offered the police information about the incident and was assured he would be treated like a victim, but instead he was sent back to prison. This led to an irretrievable loss of trust in the police. When he was released again in August 2007, Leon fought to maintain his focus of rehabilitation.

He was on the verge of beginning a new life outside Birmingham and had secured a place on a BTEC music technology course. Leon was excited about his fiancée’s pregnancy and the thought of becoming a father. He was looking forward to 2008 with an increasing sense of maturity – he had everything to live for!

However he became increasingly concerned that his efforts appeared not to be taken seriously by those responsible for assisting his rehabilitation. He was sick of the differential treatment and outcomes for people of African heritage in education and the criminal justice system.

A series of incidents in October last year meant Leon was in breach of his residency conditions, and as a result he went on the run. His family urged him to give himself up, but Leon was adamant that he would never go back to prison.

On 27 December 2007 Leon was fatally stabbed.

Quite rightly there is national uproar when the victims of knife crime are innocent. However, when the victim is involved in a gang or caught up in violence it is a different story. The press demonises them, and their families are further victimised, humiliated and treated with disrespect. There is no opportunity to present an accurate picture of their loved one.

Yet my pain is no less than the mothers of “innocent” victims. My son is also dead. My family have the same feelings of grief, sorrow, regret and frustration that the family of all other victims share. Leon was also somebody’s son, somebody’s fiancé, somebody’s father, somebody’s brother and somebody’s friend. He was my child and I love him and miss him dearly. He was my friend, my confidant, and my heartbeat.

Statistics about exclusions, violence and black deaths belie human tragedies, and Leon is yet another tragic victim that can all too easily be forgotten. However, both his life and his death emphasise the drastic and urgent need for more preventative, innovative and timely measures to be developed for all young people who have been excluded from school or who are subject to anti-social behaviour measures.

Myths

We should not fall for the myths of poor parenting, absent fathers, family breakdown or demonise our youth like the media often does. Instead we must try to understand the complex reality of young people’s struggles and provide them with proactive support and an earned second chance. That is their right!

I want to reach out to all the families, and especially the mothers, who have lost someone to gun, gang or knife crime – particularly those who have been made to feel ashamed that their child was involved in a gang, and it is said that they only ever did terrible things. Now our children are dead, and there is little sensitivity towards us. We have to stop demonising people and look behind the myths that stop us from acting to change things.

Leon left us with a beacon of hope, his beautiful daughter Princess who was born five months after his death. She symbolises life, youth, opportunity, hope and light.

What we can do to stop gun and knife crime

Flowers mark the spot in Stockwell, south London where 18 year old Frederick Moody was killed by a gang of youths. His is the latest in a spate of killings.

Not a day passes without a story about gun and knife violence featuring in the news. Politicians and political parties believe they will win or lose power depending on how well the public think they will deal with the issue of crime. Tory David Cameron talks of a “broken society”. Labour minister Tony McNulty says knife crime has become part of young people’s “collective DNA”. The Metropolitan Police chief compares violent crime to the threat of terrorism, and London mayor Boris Johnson informs us there is “a culture of stabbing”.

The needless death of a young person is a terrible and emotive crime. But the impact is far greater today when young people have become the focus of so many of our insecurities. Politicians often pay lip service to the fact that “fear of crime” is far more widespread than crime itself. Their answer, however, is to try to calm public fears by staging high-profile law and order “crackdowns” that do little to alter anything and only confirm our worst fears. New Labour’s repeated attempts to restrict access to knives is a pointless exercise and the mayor of London’s latest stunt – supporting the installation of hi-tech scanners known as “knife arches” at train stations – will stand as a physical symbol of an unsafe capital city.

Prison

MPs talk about longer prison sentences being a deterrent. But we need only look back to see what longer prison sentences have achieved. We imprison at a far greater rate – and we jail more children – than any other western European country. But it’s not improving our society. It’s not stopping our children carrying guns and knives and killing each other.

None of the politicians really seek to understand what is happening, nor do they ask what do those young men need – those who carry knives, those who really do fear for their lives, and those who have got themselves into a life of violence and crime. What are we actually doing about communicating with young men and trying to understand their complex lives? What support can be offered to help eradicate their offending behaviour?

The number of young people who carry knives shows the human consequences of a society that allows so many of its youth to grow up without hope, while at the same time selling a consumer dream in which anyone can become rich and famous. We alienate our youth in the media – an estimated 71 percent of press stories about young people are negative. Social exclusion is widespread and starts as early as nursery school.

The reality is that British society has failed far too many of our young people, and in particular Black young people. The former prime minister Tony Blair located the problem within the black community, calling on us to mobilise and denounce gang culture – as if we haven’t been doing this for years.

The eradication of funding over the years has seen huge cuts in frontline work with young people. Underfunded or unfunded community organisations are now doing the work that should be done by statutory bodies. Some of our young lack a sense of identity and belonging, and have low aspirations. They have no confidence in the police, and accuse them of being racist. So we should not be surprised that they find another way of ensuring their own safety – carrying knives or guns.

All these issues, and many more, have a part to play in the rise of violent knife and gun crime. To challenge it we need a strategy that combats racism, but also challenges poverty, deprivation and structural inequality. Communities need confidence and a real sense of partnership with statutory service providers, that meet their needs and treat them with respect. 

Of major importance is the inclusion of the young men who find themselves caught between a life of poverty, alienation, self-destruction and despair. We need cultural identity programmes and leadership programmes for young people, and parenting programmes that strengthen families and communities.

Deprivation

These will be far more effective than the heavy handed solution suggested by Gordon Brown. A study by the Medical Research Council showed that the murder rate in Glasgow is nearly three times that of Scotland as a whole, and concluded that the high murder rate in the city is likely to be linked to deprivation. So answers to what we can be done lie not only within the criminal justice system but must address the type of society that we have become.

As the criminologist and former prison governor David Wilson argues, “Instead of dreaming up new penalties for carrying knives, communities that want to be safe from them – or indeed guns for that matter – would be far better off investing in good schools, with well-paid and qualified teachers, and in ensuring that young people, especially young men, feel valued and included and have jobs and training equipping them to lead purposeful lives.”

To really address knife-related offending, we need a coherent strategy that recognises the deeper structural causes of inequality, poverty and social disaffection. A strategy that innovates and enables young people to be key drivers in the process of change.

NO FASCIST RALLY - UAF/LMHR PROTEST AGAINST BNP “FESTIVAL”

From lovemusichateracism.com Thursday 18th July.

East Midlands Unite Against Fascism have called a protest against a fascist rally organised by the BNP in Derbyshire on Saturday August 16th. Despite significant local opposition - including the withdrawal of a premises (alcohol & music) licence by the local authority and police - the BNP are going ahead with their Nazi rally in the Derbyshire countryside. In previous years, BNP members were secretly filmed by BBC documentary makers singing Nazi marching songs at the event. Unite Against Fascism and Love Music Hate Racism are calling on every organisation and individual opposed the BNP’s attempt to hold an event aimed at stirring up race hate to protest near the rally site at Denby Lane, Codnor, Derbyshire from 9am on Sat 16th August..

For a map of the protest location click here

More details of the protest will be released shortly.

Why we should defend migrant workers

By Anindya Bhattacharyya (Wednesday 2nd July)

The media is awash with scare stories about immigrants being a burden on society. This article, from Socialist Worker, challenges these myths and argues that we should give no concessions to the divide and rule tactics of our rulers.

Anyone reading the press or listening to politicians’ speeches will notice periodic attempts to whip up fears about immigration “running out of control” and to blame immigrants for creating all manner of social problems. Both the Tories and New Labour are talking immigration up as an issue, grubbing for votes by competing to appear “tough” on migrants. That’s at the “respectable” end of the debate. At the other end is a slew of lies, rumours and hate propaganda churned out by racists, whether they be of the casual variety or involved in organised groups such as the fascist British National Party (BNP).

Many of these stories are racist myths that have simply been recycled to fit new targets. Last year the Daily Mail ran a story claiming that Eastern European immigrants had been capturing and eating swans. Exactly the same story was spread about asylum seekers a few years ago – and about Gypsies and Travellers before that. Another typical anti-immigrant myth involves attacking migrant workers for being a drain on society or gaining illicit access to services such as benefits or council housing. These stories whip up hatred against migrant workers while simultaneously providing the authorities with a convenient excuse for their failure to deliver.

Shortage

One story doing the rounds at the moment claims that Lithuanians are being paid £5,000 by the government to return home. They are taking this money, so the story goes, yet returning to Britain illegally in order to claim the money again. These stories may seem ridiculous, but they are often believed. For example, the BNP made political mileage with claims that council housing in the east London borough of Barking & Dagenham was being preferentially assigned to African immigrants. There is a chronic shortage of council housing in the borough, and it has seen significant population changes in recent years as people from across London have moved there – many of them from ethnic minorities.

The combination of these two factors meant that many people bought the BNP’s lies – despite the fact that no such “preference for immigrants” scheme existed, and despite the fact that the BNP councillors in the borough voted against building new council housing. The picture is the same across Britain – recent immigrants, whether they be refugees or migrant workers, only account for a tiny fraction of social housing. The housing charity Shelter estimates that less than 1 percent of social housing in 2006/7 went to new arrivals from the latest countries to join European Union (EU). Only 0.7 percent of homeless acceptances were from these countries.

But the lies persist, with stories, for instance, that maternity units in hospitals are being filled up by “Polish mothers”. In fact immigrants are more likely to be single and of working age than the population in general – and consequently depend less on public services such as healthcare.

As workers, migrants contribute to British society and the economy. They help to pay for and run public services. The NHS, public transport and a host of other services simply wouldn’t function without immigrant labour. Some studies suggest that Britain will need many millions of new immigrants over coming decades if it is to maintain the present ratio of workers to pensioners.

According to official statistics immigration is rising – some 600,000 people came to live in Britain in 2006. But so is emigration, with 400,000 people leaving the country in the same year. The right wing notion that Britain is “full up” does not stand up to scrutiny.

But on the left too there can be confusion about migrant labour and a tendency to see these workers in primarily negative terms – that they drive down wages, that bosses use them to break strikes, that they are hard or impossible to organise. The people who put forward these arguments need not be crude racists. They may well hold progressive views on a whole host of other issues. But the underlying pessimism of this position – the despair over ever achieving unity among workers – is ultimately an echo of the divide and rule tactics over immigration used by the ruling class.

These tactics need to be confronted. The conditions many migrants work in are shameful. A recent TUC study of workers from new EU states found that nearly a quarter had no written contract and over a quarter had problems receiving their full wages. The study also found that migrants were ten times more likely to be working for less than the minimum wage. One case highlighted by the Guardian newspaper this week involved a Lithuanian construction worker taking home £8.80 for a 39-hour week after deductions.

Affordable

Organising these workers should be a priority for trade unions. Unity is the only way of ensuring they get decent pay and conditions and that bosses do not exploit their vulnerable position to drive down employment standards more generally. We should acknowledge and celebrate the contribution that migrants make to our daily lives, and resist attempts to denigrate and demonise them.

But we should also understand why these myths have a resonance in society. There is a lack of affordable housing in Britain. Our health service is frequently in crisis. And vast swathes of people across the country earn too little money to make ends meet, leading to a lifetime of stress, debt and misery.

All these circumstances are now being sharpened and intensified by the impending financial crisis. Soaring inflation is coinciding with plummeting house prices and a panic over debt in financial circles – the so called “credit crunch”. The signs are that this economic crisis will get worse – leading to further pressures on wages, housing and public services. People who are angry look for someone to blame – and immigrants can become a target in this context. It is the duty of the left to defend them – and to argue that this defence ultimately helps all workers.

Protestors March in London against the BNP

Saturday 21st June

Up to 10,000 people took to the streets of London on 21st June to join the national march against the fascist British National Party (BNP). The demonstration was called by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR). It came in response to recent gains by the BNP at the May elections, including the Nazi’s first London assembly seat. The march was young and angry, with a large turnout from schools and colleges across the country. There was a strong trade union presence on the march too, with contingents from the FBU, UCU, PCS, Unite and several other unions.

Protesters gathered near City Hall, home of the London assembly, and marched to a rally at Trafalgar Square accompanied by a float featuring musicians from the LMHR campaign. Addressing the rally, Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of UAF, pointed to recent violent attacks on Roma Gypsies and immigrants in Italy as a warning of the dangers of letting fascist parties gain a toehold in the electoral system. He said the march should be the opening shot in a long campaign to drive the Nazi BNP out of our council chambers, out of the political mainstream, and into the dustbin of history.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU lecturers’ union, warned that the BNP was aiming to relaunch its student wing in universities and colleges later this year. She pledged that the union would do its utmost to prevent fascists from organising on campus and spreading race hatred among students.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS civil service workers’ union, highlighted how civil service bosses in Hastings had sacked PCS rep Eddie Fleming for his union activity, but turned a blind eye to two Nazis in the workplace standing in elections for the BNP.

Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers is organising a series of gigs and carnivals against the BNP in the north of England. He called on demonstrators to challenge racism wherever they encountered it and to join the struggle against the BNP.

Many protesters were angry at the attitude of the police towards the anti-fascist march. The police refused to let the LMHR float into Trafalgar Square or allow amplified music at the rally. A couple of anti-fascist demonstrators were also arrested by police on grounds related to last week’s separate demonstration against George Bush’s visit to London.

National March Against Fascism and Racism -

Stop the Fascist BNP

March and carnival parade against fascism and racism including floats with top artists performing, marching & samba bands and trade union & student union banners. Called by Love Music Hate Racism and Unite Against Fascism, supported by trade unions and other organisations.

Saturday 21st June 2008
Assemble: 12 noon, Tooley Street, London SE1
(behind Greater London Assembly building, near Tower Bridge, nearest underground stn London Bridge).

March to Trafalgar Square, W1
National transport details now available...Click here for details!

In the wake of the election of the fascist British National Party's Richard Barnbrook to the London Assembly and of more BNP councillors in other parts of the country, we will show once again that anti-fascists are the majority.

On Saturday 21st June there will be a national demonstration and carnival parade against fascism and racism in London celebrating the diversity of our society and making it clear that racism and fascist organisations like the BNP will not be tolerated. There will be a march and carnival parade, with floats, marching bands, speakers and banners from every organisation opposed the BNP's racist hate.

Join this march and celebration of diversity, let's oppose the fascist BNP.

The Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) Carnival at the end of April showed the mass multicultural audience opposed to racism and fascism and now is the time for the Carnival to hit the streets and for delegations from scores of organisations opposed to the BNP's racist hate to come join in marching in unity against hate and division.

Please come along and bring your friends and family, union banners welcome.

Unions throw their weight behind anti-fascist march

by Anindya Bhattacharyya 

Firefighters in the FBU union are the latest group to get behind the national demonstration against the fascist British National Party (BNP) due to take place in London on Saturday 21 June.

An emergency resolution passed at the FBU’s annual conference in Southport, Merseyside, last week condemned the BNP as “a racist and fascist organisation [that] poses a direct threat to the interests of trade unionists and working class people”.

“It was an important debate to have at the union conference,” firefighter and delegate Yusuf Timms told Socialist Worker.

“It was good for the union to show its backing for anti-fascist campaigns and to reaffirm its policy against the BNP.

“The conference decision will also directly help us get as many people as possible to the demonstration.

“Our union pledged a donation of £5,000 to help organise the march, as well as promising to circulate anti-fascist material around fire stations.”

The FBU agreed to mobilise its members for the 21 June protest, which has been called by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR), and bring the national banner to the demo.

The PCS civil service workers’ union also passed anti-fascist motions at its annual conference in Brighton last week.

It voted to continue its campaign to get BNP members kicked out of the civil service.

The debate saw union members praising the work of UAF and LMHR, which the PCS is affiliated to.

“Some 130,000 people voted for the BNP in the London elections,” said PCS deputy general secretary Hugh Lanning. “This shows the challenge that we face in our campaign.

“We need action such as the national parade and march against fascism in London on 21 June.

“The PCS should be a no go area for the BNP – and we give our commitment to smashing them.”

Other trade unions have also pledged their support for the demonstration, including Unite, UCU, NUT and NASUWT.

Meanwhile UAF activists across the country have been booking transport and mobilising for the 21 June protest.

These include coaches from areas such as Burnley, Leicester, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Rotherham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Oxford and Swansea.

Many of the groups of local campaigners booking coaches and selling tickets have been buoyed up by the

100,000-strong LMHR carnival held in east London on the eve of the 1 May local elections.

“People from Burnley brought 70 people to the carnival, including around 50 young people,” said Donna Guthrie from UAF.

“Many of them attended an organising meeting in Burnley and are now coming to the national protest too.”

The recent elections saw the Nazi BNP making gains in many areas of the country – including grabbing a seat on the London assembly.

But the BNP’s thugs can be stopped in their tracks if the anti-fascist majority comes together to form a united mass movement against them.

The growing momentum for the 21 June demo – building on the success of the carnival last month – shows that the thirst for such a movement is felt far and wide across the country.

Love Music Hate Racism Carnival 2008: 

WHAT A DAY - OVER 100,000 IN THE PARK AGAINST FASCISM!

LMHR Carnival ‘08 was a massive success - comfortably more than 100,000 came to the event throughout the day. The crowd was young and old, diverse, and lapping up the Carnival’s anti-BNP message, surely giving a huge boost to turnout in this Thursday’s GLA and local elections. Musical highlights were too many to mention in a brief review, but all the acts performing were superb - a blow-by-blow account will follow. For now, thanks and congratulations should go to all those of you who came, the acts, the trade unions/Morrissey/all those who donated, Metropolis/AP/Nine Yards and all the excellent production contractors, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, St Johns Ambulance, the volunteers collecting/selling/grafting all day, and above all the LMHR team who have worked tirelessly and selflessly for months to make this event happen: Alison, Anita, Bunny, Christine, Donna, Drew, Dave, Fay, Jamie, Jon, Josh, Kaleigh, Lee, Martin, Olivia, Princess, Sadia, Tony, Val, Weyman, and Xanthe.

Lots more Carnival reviews, photos and footage to come, but a taster for now below… the awesome crowd, and youtube video of the glorious Poly Styrene and all-round top man Drew McConnell’s Helsinki doing X-Ray Spex classic ‘Oh Bondage, Up Yours!’

(taken from http://www.lovemusichateracism.com/news/2008/04/28/what-a-day-over-100000-in-the-park-against-fascism/)

More acts to take the stage against the Nazis

Go to www.lmhrcarnival.com

Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) has unveiled four new acts that will be playing at the free anti-Nazi carnival taking place in Victoria Park, east London, on Sunday 27 April.

Jay Sean, the Asian R&B superstar, and Hard-Fi, the indie rock band, are the latest artists to confirm their appearance.

Also joining the bill are The Good, The Bad And The Queen, the band formed by Blur’s Damon Albarn and former Clash bassist Paul Simenon.

Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex – the seminal punk act that opened the 1978 Rock Against Racism carnival in Victoria Park that this year’s event commemorates – have also agreed to play next month. They join previously announced acts such as Babyshambles, Roll Deep, The Paddingtons and Heartless Crew.

Many musicians and DJs involved in the original 1978 carnival will also be making an appearance, including Tom Robinson, Don Letts and Jerry Dammers.

The LMHR carnival comes just four days before the 1 May elections for the London Assembly. The fascist British National Party (BNP) only needs to grab 5 percent of the votes to gain a seat on the assembly. The carnival, which is estimated to attract at least 50,000 people, will be the ideal opportunity to spread the anti-Nazi message and to mobilise people to vote against the BNP.

Biggest

The event itself will involve two outdoor stages and a dance marquee featuring some of the biggest names in British underground dance music. These include grime MCs Bashy and Snakeyman, hip-hop from Metz & Trix, singer Lady Ny, as well as a bassline house set from BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Target, and dubstep from Skream and Benga. It will be preceded by a march from Weavers Field in Bethnal Green to Victoria Park. This will celebrate multicultural London and the tradition of ordinary people fighting back against fascism that runs from the 1936 Battle of Cable Street to today.

Recent months have seen an onslaught of attacks on this multicultural and anti-racist tradition from the right – and increasingly from supposedly “liberal” media commentators. These attacks have fuelled hatred against ethnic minorities, which in turn boosts the BNP. The need for a radical mass movement against the Nazis is by no means confined to London, and the LMHR carnival will also act as a national show of strength against the BNP and a focal point for anti-fascists across the country.

Some 45 coaches to the carnival have been booked so far, many of them paid for by local trade unions. The Unite union, for instance, is putting on two coaches from Burnley, the Lancashire town where the BNP has four councillors. Unlike almost any comparable free music event, the LMHR carnival has no high profile corporate sponsors but is instead turning to the workers’ movement for funding.

Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the TUC, has endorsed the event. National unions sponsoring the carnival include Unite, the PCS, NUT, NASUWT, FBU, CWU, UCU, Connect, Bectu and the Musicians Union. Many financial contributions have come from local union branches or workplace collections. But LMHR still needs to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to pay for this crucial event and has launched an appeal for funds.

The key priority over the next couple of weeks is to get the money flowing in. The carnival also needs to be publicised and coaches should be booked. The event itself is shaping up to be an electrifying expression of what’s best about music and young people today.

It will also set the tone not only for the 1 May elections, but for the battles against racism and fascism to come.

To donate to the carnival or for more information go to www.lmhrcarnival.com

Walsall midfielder discusses his encounters with racism

Walsall midfielder Kevin Betsy has spoken to Dan Tennant-Ralphs about the racism he has encountered on the pitch.

The 30-year-old talked about experiencing monkey chants from fans and slurs from players during his 11-year career.

He said the abuse was unacceptable, but is not in favour of walking off the pitch in protest.

Ban
Instead, he believes steps should be taken to ban racist supporters from grounds. He also states that he has never had any problems while playing for Bristol City, the club from which he is currently on loan at Walsall.

Filmed wearing a T-shirt with the logo, 'One Game For All, Without Racism', Betsy talked about abuse he received while playing for other clubs.

He said: "The team we were playing against, one of the players came out with something. At first I was a bit shocked, but I thought 'Let's get on with the game'.

"It was surprising, but these things happen in games. We played one Eastern European team and I had monkey chants. It's not an acceptable thing. I think it's a cultural thing."

Reflect
Asked if he would ever walk off the pitch, he said: "That's a bit drastic. England players that suffered mass racism in Spain did not walk off the pitch. I've just got to brush it off, but after the match you reflect on it.

"It's difficult for an individual player to do something, it's more a matter for the football authorities.

"FIFA should clamp down on it. Banning supporters from entering the grounds is one way.

"There's not many other ways of doing it. Taking points from clubs is one, but it's an open subject."

Advice
Asked what advice he would give to young players suffering racial abuse, he said: "Don't retaliate or react to it. Be positive and beat them on the pitch through football.

"After the game, have a polite word and say 'do you know what you said?' If you try to put a positive thing and let football do the talking and confront them in a nice manner, then you'll always be a winner."

To see the interview, recorded by Bristol-based student journalist Dan Tennant-Ralphs, click here or visit Dan's website by clicking here.

1,000 anti-fascists wreck Oxford’s sham debate

Demonstrating outside the Oxford Union

by Sian Ruddick 22/12/07

I was one of over a 1,000 protesters from all walks of life that gathered outside the Oxford Union debating club on Monday of this week to try and stop it from hosting a “forum” featuring two leading Nazis.

The decision to roll out the red carpet for Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist British National Party (BNP), and convicted Holocaust denier David Irving, had caused outrage among students, trade unionists and community groups.

The atmosphere at the protest was electric as people thronged around the Union building, arguing with those trying to attend the meeting.

The air was full of real political debate – in sharp contrast to the superficial rituals that the Union prides itself on.

Weyman Bennett, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, spoke to the protesters. “Granting Griffin and Irving a platform is a threat to all of us,” he said. “Wherever fascists are active, racist attacks and other hate crimes increase.”

People kept up a noisy presence by chanting and singing, when suddenly a gate swung open. Around 60 of us pushed our way into the Union compound past a pair of security guards that tried to rugby tackle us.

Eventually around 35 of us made it into the debating chamber – fending off attempts to physically block us by the Oxford Union’s champions of “free speech”.

We argued with the people inside, telling them that what went on in their chambers had real effects in the outside world.

By giving a platform to the BNP they were giving credibility to an organisation that actively promotes the worst kind of violence against black people, Asians, Jews and other minorities.

At this point they decided to walk out of the debating chamber and hold their meetings with Nazis in two separate rooms elsewhere.

Speaking tour

The atmosphere was getting ugly, so we negotiated to be let out. We marched out of the building, rejoining the protest outside to cheers.

This protest was vitally important in building the breadth and confidence of the anti-fascist movement.

We united a whole range of people and organisations – students’ unions, trade unions, the Jewish and Muslim societies to name but a few – in a show of strength against the BNP’s race hatred.

Griffin is desperate to overturn the no platform policies that have prevented fascist thugs from organising effectively among students for years.

He wants to go on a speaking tour of universities with Irving, using “free speech” as an excuse to spread his poison.

We need to build more mass protests like this to defend the no platform policy and to send a simple message to the Nazis – never again.

BNP vote plummets in former stronghold of Sandwell

by Anindya Bhattacharyya, 22/12/07 (www.socialistworker.co.uk)

Anti-fascists in the West Midlands celebrated on Thursday of last week after a council by-election saw the British National Party (BNP) beaten into third place in one of its former strongholds.

The by-election, in the Princes End ward of Sandwell, was triggered when the BNP’s James Lloyd was kicked off the council for failing to attend a single meeting for the past six months.

At the May local elections this year the BNP was only 20 votes away from winning a third seat in Princes End. The fascists had been polling around 1,000 votes in the ward.

“This has been the biggest set back for the BNP in Sandwell so far,” said Tony Barnsley from Black Country Unite Against Fascism. “It shows that even in their strongest areas we can knock them back.

“The BNP are down to two councillors in Sandwell – which is still two too many. Next May we should, with some effort, be able to drive them back even further.”

Labour won the by-election with 796 votes. The Tories came second on 517 and the Nazis third on 314. This compares to 898 for Labour, 878 for the BNP and 498 for the Tories in May

Racist Killer Teens Jailed

A gang of white teenagers have been jailed for a total of more than 80 years for the racially aggravated murder of an Asian taxi driver.

Mohammad Parvaiz, 41, was lured down a cul-de-sac in Huddersfield and attacked by youths who shouted bigoted abuse at him.

The father-of-three was punched, his head was stamped on, his face and body were kicked and he was hit with rocks and a wooden plank.

He suffered a fractured skull and jaw, broken ribs and brain damage.

Graeme Slavin, 18, Christopher Murphy, 18, and Steven Utley, 17, have been found guilty of his murder following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

But Michael Hand, 19, pleaded guilty to the killing.

Murphy has been jailed for a minimum of 25 years, Hand for 21 years and Utley and Slavin for 17 years each.

Trial judge Dame Heather Steel said it was a joint attack in which they all took part, but Hand and Murphy were the ringleaders

The court heard Mr Parvaiz, from Birkby, Huddersfield, was called to Field Head near Golcar on July 22.

A gang of youths threw large stones at the taxi in a "revenge" attack, smashing the windows, before dragging Mr Parvaiz out.

Weeks before, the driver became inadvertently caught up in a dispute between rival Asian and white youths in the area.

Outside court, Det Supt Tim Forber, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "I don't think I've ever come across anything so utterly mindless.

"The court heard evidence that there was a clear level of planning in this offence. It was savage beyond belief."

Michael Beeby, 16, and Jason Harris, 17, were cleared of murder but they were convicted of violent disorder, like the other defendants.

Harris, from Huddersfield, and Beeby, of Longwood, have been given an eight and 10-month detention order respectively.

Racist Row Officer Sacked

A German army instructor who ordered a recruit to imagine he was shooting black Americans as he fired his gun has been sacked.

The non-commissioned officer told the rookie to think about angry "African Americans" insulting his mother in New York's tough Bronx area as he pulled the trigger.

A second soldier filmed the training and it caused outrage in Germany when the grainy 90-second footage was aired on TV.

The officer, who has not been named, has now been stripped of his rank and pay.

A German Defence Ministry spokesman said: "The Bundeswehr (Germany army) has dismissed him."

The ministry is still investigating the second soldier who filmed the scenes which came to light over the weekend.

In the footage, the officer screamed at the recruit: "You're in the Bronx, a black van pulls up in front of you and three African-Americans get out and start really insulting your mother ... now do something!"

The instructor then swears repeatedly as the rookie fires his weapon.

The German army has been hit by a series of scandals in recent years including allegations of torture during training and photos of soldiers holding skulls in Afghanistan.

Racist Gang Jailed Over Leeds Attack

A gang of racists who attacked a black family from Angola have been jailed for a total of almost 29 years.

The 11 thugs, including a teenage girl, were locked up for their part in the attack aimed at driving their black neighbours out of a housing estate four days after they moved in.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the mob, some armed with baseball bats and crowbars, targeted 30-year-old Alvaro Vintem, his wife Maura Adriano and their three children as they enjoyed a barbecue at their home in Seacroft.

The thugs were said to have stockpiled weapons in the garden of a house nearby, then threw missiles including bottles, sticks, cans and bricks at the family cowering in their front garden.

The family and their guests, including eight children, fled inside, but then had their barbecue thrown at the house during the 30-minute ordeal last August.

All 11 pleaded guilty to violent disorder yet denied racist intent, but the judge said race hate was the only motivation for an attack filled with "seething aggression".

They were jailed for a total of 28 years and 10 months, with sentences ranging from three-and-half years to 12 months.

Seven others alleged to have taken part in the violence have yet to be traced, but the police have vowed to track them down.

The court heard how the gang screamed obscenities and racial abuse, telling the family: "You don't belong here."

Mr Vintem and his family had fled to West Yorkshire from Angola, where more than 1.5 million people have died and four million have been displaced in its 27-year civil war.

School Race Report Denied

Black pupils are three times more likely to be excluded from school because of "systematic racial discrimination", a government inquiry has found.

'Unwitting stereotypes'

In a report - seen by the Independent On Sunday - it said the bias was "largely unwitting" and caused by negative stereotypes of black people as threatening.

But ministers have rejected any suggestion that schools are institutionally racist as inaccurate and counterproductive.

The review, led by director of school performance and reform Peter Wanless, was ordered by the Government last year.

In his report, Getting It. Getting It Right, he said a "compelling case can be made for the existence of institutional racism in schools".

But he added: "If we choose to use the term 'institutional racism', we need to be sensitive to the likely reception by schools [but] if we choose not to use the term, we need to make sure the tone of our message remains sufficiently challenging."

A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "In the light of this detailed work, ministers concluded that it would be inaccurate and counter-productive to brand the school system as racist.

"However, there is more that schools, parents and the Government can do to ensure that every child fulfils their potential whatever their background."

In March last year, a government-funded report accused some schools of being institutionally racist over expulsions.

The two-year study by academics found a significant minority of primary and secondary schools in England were failing to observe race-relations laws.

When it was published, the Government insisted rapid progress was being made on tackling higher rates of school exclusions among black pupils.

BIRMINGHAM SCHOOLS KICK RACISM OUT OF FOOTBALL COMPETITION A HUGE SUCCESS
Monday 3 Jul, 2006

Over 400 children, parents, teachers and trainers braved the heat to take part in the 4th annual Kick Racism Out of Football Competition at Moor Lane Sports Ground on Sunday 2nd July.

The tournament, which has been held since 2003, was designed to bring schools from across Birmingham to celebrate the diversity of the city in a friendly way. This year, 12 school teams took part along with 7 local club teams. The schools event was won by Chilcote Primary School, Hall Green and the club winners were the Bearwood Sports C team.

The event was supported by UCE Birmingham and received sponsorship from Aston Villa FC, Birmingham City FC, the National Union of Teachers, UNISON, the GMB, the NASUWT, Betterware and Brazilian Soccer Schools as well as a number of other football clubs. In the process we raised awareness of anti- racism campains including Kick It Out , Show Racism the Red Card and Love Music, Hate Racism.

The quarter final draw was made by Birmingham¹s RESPECT Councillor, Salma Yaqoob. Salma reminded us all that it wasn¹t the colour of our skins that counted but how we play the game. The schools prizes were presented by Holocaust survivor Paul Oppenheimer. Paul told us that as a child, before he was deported to the Belsen concentration camp by the Nazis, he was prevented from being in the school team because he was Jewish.

Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football co-organiser, Doug Morgan said: "This event was our most successful ever. More children, parents, staff and sponsors united to say that there is no place for racism in football or society than at any of our events in the past."

Kick It Out can offer your community group or school support in organising an event or starting up an initiative. For further details please visit our website www.kickitout.org  

 Tournament helps heal wounds

Despite the bug that hit our schools, teams from Anglesey Juniors, Lozells Juniors, St Francis, St Clare’s, Canterbury Cross, Prince Albert and Nelson Mandela Primary School took part in the Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out of Football Competition (BSKROOF) Lozells UNITY event. The event was called to show unity in the Aston and Lozells areas following last year’s riots. The event, held at Broadway Secondary School, Perry Barr, was won by St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, Handsworth.

The event was organised by Birmingham Schools Kick Racism Out Of Football (BSKROOF) in conjunction with the Broadway School Sport partnership in response to the riots that took place in Lozells and Handsworth. Despite the troubles of October, children from many different backgrounds and beliefs are united everyday in peace. While there were many social reasons for the riots, this event showed that through united action our communities can become closer than ever.

Tournament organiser, Doug Morgan, said:  “On a bitterly cold night children, staff, parents and even cheerleaders turned out to show that our area is united”

The schools were divided into two mini leagues with the winners from each league playing in the Final. There was some excellent football played throughout the event by all teams but most pleasing of all, the level of sportsmanship was outstanding. Although this was a competitive event all the children behaved in a mature and responsible way.

In a closely fought final St Clare’s beat Prince Albert 1 – 0. All the children received badges, magazines, wristbands and various other goodies for taking part.

St Clare’s winning team was organised by Ray Jones and Richard Bennett. The Deputy Head of St Clare’s, Chris Bradbury, commented: “This competition was a really good idea that promotes the idea of sport being about bringing people together. This event has helped bring the community together and I hope that it will be the start of similar events in the years to come.”