UPDATE: A comrade from Bristol has just informed us that the planned event featuring racist apologist Dr James Watson has been cancelled.

The leader of Bristol City Council, one of the organisations backing the event, told him that the Bristol Cultural Development Partnership will issue a press release confirming this first thing tomorrow.

The cancellation of the event apparently follows behind-the-scenes pressure on the BCDP from the Council, The Arts Council and the business community. We think that the fact that all of these groups had been made aware that anti-fascist activists were on the case may have helped!

Thanks to all of our supporters for spreading the word and taking action.

**********

UPDATE 2: Watson only had one event left after the Bristol one was cancelled. This was due to take place at the Centre for Life in Newcastle on Sunday. Watson is the Patron of the Centre, a registered charity. The Centre had earlier released a press statement saying that they intended to go ahead with the event despite the cancellations elsewhere. However, they have now been forced to cancel it after Watson scurried back home to the US much earlier than planned! You can read their press release here - http://www.life.org.uk/about/press/articles/42

No doubt when he lands Watson will also be pleased to learn he’s been suspended by the board of trustees at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he is the Chancellor.

The response of the Centre for Life has left much to be desired. The fact that Watson has been supported by them throughout this affair and still remains their Patron is outrageous. However, some of the other board members may be uneaasy about being associated with a racist (for instance, a local councillor is involved). We will see what we can find out about the Centre and its board so that we can apply suitable pressure, and we welcome any info that you can pass on to us.

¡No Pasarán!

**********

Original report:

‘Academic’ bigot Dr James Watson is due to speak at an event in Bristol (UK) on Wednesday 24th October, 12.45pm, at St. George’s Bristol.

Watson said in a recent interview that he was “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really”.

He also said he hoped everyone was equal but that “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true”.

The event is being supported by the University of Bristol as part of some pseudo-intellectual ‘Festival Of Ideas’ where people with a self-inflated sense of worth can gather and boost each others’ egos. Tickets are on sale at The Watershed Media Centre (another refuge for middle class tossers).

Watson was scheduled to speak at the Science Museum in London later this week, but the museum have cancelled his appearance. They said that Watson had “gone beyond the point of acceptable debate”. We fully agree.

Unfortunately, the supposedly ‘educated elite’ of Bristol seem to have no problem with supporting racists. The event will be chaired by the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor (!) Eric Thomas, and a spokesperson for the University said they respected “freedom of speech and the right of people to express their views”. The event is also supported by Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, made up of Bristol City Council, Arts Council England and Business West.

We wonder how the black workers in these organisations feel about their employers defending the ‘rights’ of this prejudiced moron.

The antifa position is quite clear on this - racism is not entitled to have a voice. Watson’s lies provide ammunition and comfort to those who perpetuate racist ideals. The BNP have already used Watson’s words to bolster their own pathetic racist beliefs.

Whilst local antifa work out how best to respond to this event, we call on antifa supporters everywhere to contact these organisations and make it quite clear to them that racists have no place in our society. Please be polite but forceful - with enough pressure beforehand we may just be able to stop this travesty before activists have to take possibly more risky action on the day.

Bristol City Council
Council leader: Helen Holland
Tel: 0117 9872238
Email: helen.holland@bristol.gov.uk
URL: http://www.bristol.gov.uk

Bristol Cultural Development Partnership
Chair: Simon Cook
Tel: 0117 9031992
Email: simon.cook@bristol.gov.uk
Director: Andrew Kelly
Tel: 01275 370816
Email: andrew.kelly@businesswest.co.uk
URL: http://www.creativebristol.com

St. George’s Bristol
Director: Suzanne Rolt
Tel: 0117 9294929 (admin office)
Email: administration@stgeorgesbristol.co.uk
URL: http://www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

University of Bristol
Vice-Chancellor: Eric Thomas
Tel: 0117 9287499 (his office)
Email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
URL: http://www.bris.ac.uk

Watershed Media Centre
Director: Dick Penny
Tel: 0117 9276444
Email: dick@watershed.co.uk
URL: http://www.watershed.co.uk

All of these organisations claim that they work to end discrimination, and are in partnership with a whole range of groups who will be offended by their collaboration with Watson. We will try and inform as many of them as we can about this event, so that we can work together in opposition to Watson.

Please pass this information on to as many people as possible. We need to stop this NOW!

Friends of the Morristown 3 in New York have organised a night of top-quality entertainment to raise funds for the defence campaign. Featuring a line up of talented DJs from across the musical spectrum, the night promises to keep punters on their toes and smiling from start to end.

It takes place on Friday 26th October at 229 Newark Avenue, Apt #3L, Jersey City, New York (Grove Street PATH train). Doors open at 9 pm and the entrance fee is only three dollars INCLUDING a free drink!!! If you’re in the area, get along and have a guaranteed good night out.

Statement from the Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism And Fascism:

Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism

For Immediate Release: 10/8/07

Contact: Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism, fight_them_back@riseup.net, 971.285.4688 (voicemail).

Saturday “Hammerskin Nation” Neo-Nazi Event Gets Cut Short

Anti-racists Reveal White Supremacist Gathering, Leading to Event Cancellation

Portland, Oregon – Thanks to their eyes and ears in Portland and beyond, anti-fascists were able to release information about the location of a white supremacist gathering held on Saturday, October 6 in the greater Portland area, leading to the cancellation of its venue. White supremacists associated with the Hammerskin Nation, a neo-Nazi organization, had rented the Sherwood Elks Lodge (22770 SW Elwert Rd., Sherwood, OR) under false pretexts, for use in its twentieth-anniversary celebration, scheduled for October 5 - 7. Around three hours after receiving information about the true nature of the event being held on their premises, the Elks Club pulled the Saturday venue, denying use of their space to fascist organizers. Approximately 70 - 100 hardcore white supremacists were at the venue at the time of cancellation. Chatter on racist bulletin boards suggests that other bigots had already cancelled their travel plans in earlier weeks, due to concerns about anti-fascist responses. Despite their earlier talk of a comprehensive “action plan” for the weekend, regional law enforcement showed no signs of having developed viable information about the racist gathering’s location.

The October 5 – 7 “Hammerfest” neo-Nazi gathering had been planned by the “Hammerskin Nation” racist organization. The Hammerskins began their organized activity in 1987, when they were known as the Confederate Hammerskins, a violent and racist skinhead grouping in Dallas, TX. The Hammerskins have now grown into a “Hammerskin Nation” with national and international affiliates. The Hammerskins combine thug tactics with recruitment through hate rock, to forward their Hitler-admiring agenda. The Hammerskin Nation organized their “Hammerfest” national gathering in conjunction with Volksfront, a Portland-led white supremacist group linked to two of the killers of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in 1988. Similar to the Hammerskins, Volksfront has chapters throughout North America and also on other continents.

Acting on information from verified but anonymous sources, the Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism contacted the Sherwood Elks Lodge shortly after 4PM on Saturday, October 6. At that time, the Elks booking manager expressed disbelief that there was a neo-Nazi gathering being held on the premises, insisting that only an innocent rock show was taking place. The Committee then released its information to the public and the media, requesting that phone calls be made to the venue urging cancellation of the neo-Nazi event. Elks members, some of whom were present at the venue, subsequently realized what was going on and did the right thing.

The Ad-Hoc Committee Against Racism and Fascism also brought approximately 250 people together for a public rally from 1-3PM at Lents Park (SE 92nd & Steele) on the same Saturday. The Lents Park “Nazis Not Welcome, Unite Against Racism” community gathering featured diverse voices connecting the Hammerskin Nation event to broader problems of bigotry and institutionalized oppression. All those present expressed a commitment to undermining neo-Nazi organizing in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The Ad-Hoc Committee realizes that the Hammerskins and their ilk have at times been deceptive when booking events or when obtaining resources. We also want to note that any number of hotels, venues, civic organizations and businesses may have knowingly or unknowingly profited from “Hammerfest” this year. We believe that institutions in this city need to take responsibility for informing themselves about white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizing in the region. The Ad-Hoc Committee also believes that any businesses that profited from the racist gathering should now take appropriate measures. We urge written accounts of white supremacist movements in the city to be submitted to us by email. We also believe that any profits drawn from the neo-Nazi event - either by accident or through turning a blind eye - should now be redirected to groups combating white supremacy. We recommend either the Center for New Community or the One People’s Project for donations.

Founded this September, the Ad-Hoc Committee is dedicated to monitoring and opposing white supremacist groupings in Portland and beyond. To obtain a chronology of recent white supremacist activity in the Pacific Northwest, or for more information on anti-racist endeavors, please contact the Ad-Hoc Committee: 971.285.4688 or fight_them_back@riseup.net.

Hammerskins? Hammer ‘em!

It was heartening to see thousands of anti-fascists turn out yesterday in Novi Sad, Serbia, to face down a handful of neo-nazis who’d recently announced plans to hold a gathering in the city. Anti-Fascist Action Novi Sad played a major part in the mobilisation and could be seen leading the demo from the front.

As the marchers attempted to reach their rallying point, they were met with a few bottles and stones thrown by the sorry handful of fascists who had managed to muster. Almost before the anti-fascists had a chance to retaliate, Serbian riot police moved in. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the odds, they concentrated their efforts on the nazis, arresting them and their so-called ‘Fuehrer’ (failure more like). A couple of anti-fascists were also arrested.

To be honest, the police almost certainly saved the fascists from some antifa street justice with their early intervention. The people of Novi Sad certainly seemed willing to respond in kind when the boneheads attempted to assault them, and we have no doubt who would’ve lost the argument had it continued. We send our respect and solidarity to the citizens of Novi Sad who take a stand against the fascist threat.