Wolverhampton HOPE not hate Day of Action

HOPE not hate / Searchlight by Nick Kelleher | Sunday, 10 May 2009

Thirty one volunteers turned out on Saturday to distribute 10,000 HOPE not hate newspapers, urging people to vote against the fascist BNP at the European election on 4 June. Special thanks to the 16 people who came out for the first time. Trade unionists gave strong support including several members of Unison and the local TUC, and others from Unite, the NUT, GMB and UCU. The local edition of the paper distributed here featured two Wolverhampton Unison activists, Sharon Dixon and Ruth Dugmore.

Significantly the majority of the volunteers also attended the recent May Day event, which had an anti-fascist theme and at which Matthew Collins from Searchlight spoke and called for support for our Day of Action.

We have just 500 newspapers left after a really successful morning. Starting at 10.30, most people had finished by noon and we enjoyed a feast of Caribbean food prepared for us by our May Day caterers.

Thanks to Ali for helping with the delivery of papers, setting up the venue and staffing it, and to Father Eamonn Corduff, who offered us the venue free with refreshments and for distributing papers to his congregation. We also must thank Thompsons solicitors for providing the bags for us to carry the papers.

There are just over three weeks to go to the elections. The European election uses a form of proportional representation under which the BNP could win one of the six West Midlands seats with as little as 11% of the vote. This would bring the party funding of £250,000 a year. This is why it is so important that you use your vote in these elections and encourage others to do so too. The more people vote for other parties, the lower the chance of the BNP winning a seat.

What next?

This Friday 15 May is UNION FRIDAY. We will be distributing what newspapers we have left and any more we can get hold of from 7am until 9am to commuters at the railway station (and bus station if we have enough people/papers). We’ll be at the end of the bridge at the entrance to the railway station. Contact Nick on 07932 797139.