PLEDGING just one pound could help bring Europe’s biggest anti-racism festival back to Finsbury Park, under new plans launched by local campaigners.
Since Boris Johnson axed popular music festival Rise in 2008, Islington residents Mike Barnard and Freya van Lessen have sought to reinstate it by summer 2010.
The latest stage in their ‘UpRise’ campaign is a plea for donations of £1, which they hope will raise a total of £100,000 by the end of March – a tight deadline – in order to stage the event.
“It is such a shame that Rise was cancelled in the first place,” said Mike Barnard, creative director of UpRise. “People were so passionate about it and we want to keep that legacy alive. Anti-racism is a strong message and we need to get the festival up and running again to get that across.
Trade Union sponsorship
“If all the people who went to Rise in 2008 pledge just £1, we can get UpRise off the ground,” he added. “So far we’ve used social networks to spread the word and we’ve had a very positive response. We’ve raised about £13,500 so we’re getting there – but this new campaign is so important.”
Rise was originally funded by a combination of GLA and trade union sponsorship, until the latter withdrew when Mr Johnson replaced the event’s anti-racism message with “diversity”, outraging festival-goers across the capital.
The festival, which had been held annually for 12 years, was then axed due to lack of funds.
“politicised”
“Boris is a Conservative mayor and that’s why he did what he did, but Rise should never have been politicised in that way,” said Barnard. “We don’t want our festival to be held prisoner by the mayor anymore. We are going to bring UpRise to Finsbury Park and we’re doing it ourselves.”
If sufficient funds are raised, UpRise will be held on 11 July.
“I enjoyed Rise every summer in Finsbury Park and disagreed with Boris Johnson’s decision to axe an important celebration of multi-culturalism,” said Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North. “The festival is important for our area, and I would like to see the festival return with its important anti-racism message.”
Asian Dub Foundation
Music group Asian Dub Foundation, who played at the first ever Rise festival in 1996, along with Chumbawumba and Fun-Da-Mental, agreed.
“We believe that events against racism are just as important as they always were, especially now support for the BNP is growing in some parts of the country,” they said. “Events like Rise that bring people together to fight racism should be on the increase, not being cut back.”
The Mayor’s office declined to comment on the UpRise campaign or the decision to axe Rise.
For more information or to make a donation, visit: www.uprise.org.uk
Image credit – Luke Robinson
