Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at 11:59AM Gilad Atzmon 
Taken from the notorious Jewish supremacist brockley.blogspot.com
TAKE ACTION! I think it is outrageous that Raise Your Banners has invited Gilad Atzmon to perform, not as a musician but as a political figure. They claim that they want to promote a “diversity of views”, but I notice that they have not this year or in any previous year invited White Power skinhead bands, for example, or Ulster Unionist pipe bands, or even Tory folk musicians. Would they invite homophobic and misogynistic rappers, for example, because they had also written excellent left-wing songs? Would they invite a fine socialist songwriter who had a track record of anti-black racism? It seems to me there are a number of ways we can take action.
- Put pressure on the organisers. Express your disgust that the festival is inviting a racist performer. Sam Jackson is the event secretary who put out the odd PSC statement. Ludi Simpson is variously described as treasurer, director and organiser of the Atzmon bit. (Is that the same Ludi Simpson who does excellent statistical research at Manchester University? If so, his research skills have failed him here, as googling Gilad Atzmon would be enough to put anyone sensible off.) Contact details are here (the phone number is 07530 243874), and you can also follow the festival on Facebook or Twitter.
- Put pressure on the Arts Council. It seems to me that at a time when public money is so tightly rationed, it gives a lot of ammunition to the enemy of arts funding that they are spending taxpayers’ money on a festival that hosts a known racist. How would they feel if their budget went towards someone like David Irving or David Duke as to show "a diverse view of world society", because that’s basically what they are doing.
- Put pressure on the Co-op, who are also a funder according to the website. I am a member, and I don’t like this use of Co-operative funds. Website here.
- Put pressure on the venue. In this case, that’s the Church of England! A HnH commenter writes: “This event happens at Bradford Cathedral (01274 777720). You need to speak to diocesan Bishop of Bradford Nick Baines, and if that doesn't work, make a direct appeal to the Church of England hierarchy. Giving a forthright anti-semite permission to play his concert at a cathedral would make disastrous headlines for the Church of England, if the media were to get hold of it. http://www.visitbradford.com/thedms.asp?dms=13&feature=1256&venue=1570382 UPDATE: Apparently, due to poor ticket sales, the venue has shifted from the Cathedral to the smaller Kala Sangan, also funded by the Arts Council. You can follow them on Twitter too, by the way. And, in an outbreak of sensibleness, the Dean of Bradford has come out against Atzmon.
- Ask other performers to pull out if Atzmon is not dis-invited. Apart from Martin Carthy, Peggy Seeger and Roy Bailey, I haven’t heard of many of the performers, but they’re listed here: John Tams and Barry Coope, Ewan McLennan and Robb Johnson, Amsterdam, Seize the Day and the Hall Brothers, Tina McKevitt and Matt Hegarty. (The great violinist Omar Puente has pulled out: I can't find information about why, but I’d like to think it is because he prefers not to share a stage with a racist.) These performers might be swayed by Richard Seymour’s letter to Zer0 Books.
- Urge your union branch to follow Bradford TUC in condemning the event.
- Consider picketing or even disrupting the event. Everybody Hates a Tourist has a post about the event, and urges anyone interested in taking action to get in touch with hi
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
No comments:
Post a Comment