It was a brilliant protest yesterday - well done to all who came along. We heavily outnumbered the racists - there were several hundred of us and about 50 of them. We should do this everytime they try to hold a public rally and show them they will not get away with this sort of hate-mongering.

Once again, however, I have to say how digusted I am with the media and Margaret Hodge (she didn't show her face yesterday incidentally) who I believe had a deliberately seedy agenda in place in the run up to the election - they purposely went out their way to focus heavily on the BNP and to big-up their threat, and as a result of such constant coverage the thugs got 12 councillors elected.

And yet a party made up of people of all colours, races, faiths and none, who have integrity and focus on problems such as war and poverty and injustice got ZERO coverage from the rich-owners of the media, even on election night when they got many councillors elected. I am of course talking about Respect who did well DESPITE a media blackout. And can you imagine how much better they would have done if they'd got a fraction of the coverage that the nazis got?

There was a very suspect agenda going on there and it continued with the 'debate' about the veil and various other Muslim-bashing stories. We must keep a very close eye on the media/politicians as they do the bidding of their masters in the establishment who are petrified of the new emerging and powerful alliance of Muslims and the left - it is clear that they are trying to neutralise this threat by trying to be as racist and reactionary as possible - now more than ever. By creating a big group of racists and thugs in Britain, the politicians can more easily carry on with their imperialist agenda and intimidate those progressive forces who are not buying into the lies. Hence the ever-increasing rabid rhetoric from the media and the likes of Reid and Blair.

There is also a distinct agenda in the media to portray the BNP and Respect in similar 'extreme' lights whereas in reality the BNP are fascists who want people to believe that immigrants/people of colour are to blame for all of society's problems, and Respect speak the truth and pinpoint the real areas that are to blame - war, the unfair distribution of wealth in society, racism, privatisation etc. What is 'extreme' about Respect's agenda? If anything it is the parties of the mainstream that have lots in common with the BNP - Respect have absolutely nothing in common with them.

The ultimate aim of those in the media and government is to divide people and make them hate each other - the old 'divide and rule' strategy. It is just such a shame that so many people are easily manipulated by the lies that are churned out..But as can be seen by yesterday's protest, people opposed to racism are still in the majority so let's keep up the hard work - against the government, the media AND the BNP.

Contributed by a member of the public.

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