Thousands of Londoners are expected to join this year’s Rise: London United which takes place this weekend in Finsbury Park.
Organisers are expecting up to 100,000 to participate in the event which has been organised by the Mayor of London in conjunction with the Trades Union Congress and National Assembly Against Racism.
Mayor of London Ken LIvingstone said “racist ideas are the most backward and dangerous ideas that any society has produced. Racism has been used to justify some of the worst crimes that humanity has ever committed – slavery, wars, apartheid, the holocaust, lynchings, racist attacks and murder. Rise: London United is saying that racism has no place in a city like ours.”
This year’s event features the eclectic mix of music the festival is becoming known for, from Kelis and Jamelia to St Etienne, The Holloways and Noisettes, to K’Naan and the Skatalites.
Bob Stanley from St Etienne said: ‘In the wake of the pioneering work of Rock Against Racism, we have Rise and Love Music Hate Racism to celebrate the multi-cultural cocktail that makes London the greatest city in the world. It would be nice to think Saint Etienne could come up with something as mind-blowing as Bob Dylan’s Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, but we’ll do our pop bit, and -with London United – we can all have a jolly good time.’
Event: Rise: London United
Location: Finsbury Park, London N4
Date: Sunday 15 July 2007
Time: 12pm – 8:30pm
Entry: FREE – ALL WELCOME
Public information: www.risefestival.org
