Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, London Region

162 Holloway Road, London N7 8DQ Tel: 020 7607 2302 E-mail davidlr@cnduk.org

Ms Munira Mirza

Director of Policy, Arts, Culture and the Creative Industries

City Hall

The Queen’s Walk
London SE1 2AA

30 June 2008

Dear Ms Mirza,

Re: Removal of anti-racist message from Rise festival

I am writing to you on behalf of London CND to express our deep concern at reports that this year’s anti-racist Rise festival has lost its anti-racist message.

London CND has participated in the vast majority of previous festivals and enjoyed engaging with its diverse and vibrant audience.

London CND takes the issue of racism very seriously and is affiliated to the National Assembly Against Racism. We understand that racism is used to dehumanise people both within our own communities, and across entire populations in other countries. This dehumanization can then be used in times of conflict to justify the use of appallingly powerful and indiscriminate weaponry against innocent civilians. For instance, the US’ atomic bombings of the civilian populations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, took place in a climate of bitter racism against the Japanese people. Most recently, intensifying racism against the Muslim community has accompanied the invasion and occupation of Iraq, in which possibly one million Iraqi civilians have lost their lives, victim to appalling, indiscriminate weaponry, including radioactive depleted uranium, white phosphorous and cluster bombs.

We want an end to war and the threat of nuclear weapons and we oppose this climate of racism and dehumanization.

Previous ‘rise’ festivals played an extremely important role in bringing people together - in an extremely enjoyable way - to support a very serious cause. At a time when racism is intensifying, and the British National Party is flourishing, we ask that you reconsider this decision to remove the anti-racist message from the Rise festival and use cultural events to strengthen the anti-racist climate in London, not weaken it.

Yours sincerely,

SOPHIE BOLT

Chair
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, London Region