Anti-racist festival drops anti-racist message

[Spearmint Rhino]

...and guess who's behind it.

Guardian story
Explanatory statement

Even though I am a supporter of Cuban solidarity, I can see the argument for scrapping that stall. That's a side issue. Dropping the anti-racist message of an anti-racist festival is just bizarre, though.

The 70% whiteness of the crowd is arguably a positive, rather than a negative, if you're going to get an anti-racist message across. What worries me more is the social class of the people who attend Rise (and the recent Victoria Park thing). There's no point preaching to the converted (i.e. bourgeois liberals).

[Lucy Waterman]

Anti-racist festival drops anti-racist message

The deterrent effect of this highly politicised atmosphere should not be underestimated. Although the event was supposed to be inclusive and attract people from ethnic minorities, the GLA's own research (conducted while Ken was mayor) shows that 65%-70% of attendees in the last two years were white. That is disproportionately whiter than the population of London. It seems reasonable to conclude that the political baggage and relentless sloganeering was actually putting people off.

I seem to have a different concept of "reason" to you, Munira. However, I'd hazard a guess that I'm out of step with Cameron's Consensus.

[Lucia Lanigan]

Anti-racist festival drops anti-racist message

I'd hazard a guess that at least 90% of attendees at most London music festivals are white, so that's a massive red herring she's slapping our faces with there.

[evilC]

Anti-racist festival drops anti-racist message

Not me wrote:

I'd hazard a guess that at least 90% of attendees at most London music festivals are white, so that's a massive red herring she's slapping our faces with there.

Maybe if we all mix our metaphors enough then people of different ethnicities will start mingling together more too? That would be byoodiful. Will someone please think of the children?!?