LMHR coordinator Martin Smith took his camera with him to the Love Music Hate Racism Carnival in Barnsley on 1 May. Here’s his report of the day’s events…
Words and pics: Martin Smith
May Day was the day the Love Music Hate Racism Carnival came to Barnsley.
Despite the torrential rain, the LMHR festival was a sell out and a fantastic success. Close to 8,000 people danced the evening away in the outdoor arena, and 17 clubs and pubs in the town put on LMHR events – all were rammed to capacity.
BNP silenced
In the shopping centre, a handful of Nazi British National Party members set up a stall and spat out their racist invective at black and Asian people. 
The Nazis fell silent as thousands of people wearing anti racist T-shirts marched past them jeering.
Demoralised they scuttled off back to the sewers where they belong. I’m glad to see that the local Unite Aganist Fascism group has called a counter protest against the BNP stall next Saturday.
The festival was supported by the NUT and PCS, the local trades council and local unions and community groups. Barnsley school students painted banners and hung them on the fencing around the arena.
The real stars…
But the real stars of the carnival were the thousands of local people – black, white and Asian – who supported the event. Many made their own anti BNP T-shirts and badges. 
A big thank you should also go to the hundreds of LMHR activists who helped out on the day.
For me the carnival had two simple messages:
Say “No” to racism!
Keep Barnsley BNP free!
Those messages were promoted by the bands and the speakers from the stage.
The carnival was opened up by local band Gaia. They were followed by LMHR stalwarts Get Cape Wear Cape Fly. Wearing a blue LMHR hoodie, Sam – the band’s leader – made a powerful speech about his own experiences of racism in his home town of Southend, Essex.
Number one
Up next came Roll Deep. What a crew! Only the day before they hit the number one spot with their great new single. 
Roll Deep were already booked in to do a show on the same day as the Barnsley carnival – but they travelled half way across the country to play for us. A massive cheer from the crowd went up when the MCs said:
We have been supporting LMHR for over five years now – and we’re going to support this campaign for life.
Just as Roll Deep were about to finish, the heavens opened up.
I have to be honest – I thought the carnival was finished.
Liquid sunshine
Some people fled for shelter in nearby pubs, but thousands stayed and – despite the “liquid sunshine” – enjoyed a number of great local bands – Delicateers, The Rabbits, the awesome poet Matt Abbott – and South wales rockers The Blackout.
Then, as Mumzy took to the stage, the rain stopped and the crowd swelled to capacity.
LMHR carnivals are not like your average music festival – they are political events. As well as great music, artists and speakers from the stage talk about the struggles against racism and the growth of the BNP.
The crowd listened intently as the secretary of Barnsley Trades Council talked about the campaign against racism in the town. A big shout out goes to the trades council – without their tireless campaigning, the carnival would not have happened.
Stop the BNP – vote!
Either side of the stage hung two massive banners produced by the PCS and NUT unions, both carnival sponsors. 
Big cheers greeted Kevin Courtney (deputy general secretary of the NUT) and Hugh Lanning (deputy general secretary of the PCS). Both talked about the need to stop the BNP and get out to vote in the elections on Thursday 6 May.
The crowd was now at its height and went berserk when Chipmunk walked onto the stage. I think it’s fair to say that for many, it was the highlight of the festival.
Lee Billingham from LMHR talked about the work the campaign does, and about the murder of anti-fascist campaigner Blair Peach in 1979.
Reverend and the Makers followed – and hit the mark with blinding versions of He said he loved me and Heavyweight champion of the world. Frontman Jon McLure’s message from the stage was simple – “Fuck the BNP.”
Acapella
Just as the band finished their last song, there was a power cut on the stage and the final chorus was sung acapella by Jon and the crowd.
There then followed two more speakers. LMHR and Unite Against Fascism’s Weyman Bennett made a passionate speech about the rise of Islamophobia and the need to defend migrants. The final speech of the night was made by yours truly and was a call to get involved in UAF and to oppose the BNP.
Specials legend
Sadly our final band, UB40, had to pull out of the festival, when one of the band members fell sick. But true to form, Neville Staples from legendary band The Specials stepped into the breach.
The Neville Staples band performed a stirring set of classic Specials anthems, ending with a brilliant version of Ghost Town. It was great to see young and old moon-stomping the night away.
The evening ended with a DJ set from the Trojan Sound System. For anyone who loves their ska and dub reggae, it was a great festival ending.
Thousands of people left the festival chanting “Love Music Hate Racism”.
Next time…
Where do we go from here? Next time we need a dozen Barnsleys – it’s time to take the anti-Nazi message to every town and city where the BNP are trying to spread their poison.
shelley jones said:
i loved the LMHR concert and as i am frm barnsley i think we deserved that concert their all the acts were great so thankyou to the barnsley council for lettin this happen x
rebecca jones said:
hiiiii :) enjoyed the concert but the moshers was really anoyin and doing my headin but wen chipmunk came on i loved it :):):) and wen all the other people nd bands came on apart from the blackout i dunt like them xxxxx
dave h said:
crackin day for the people of barnsley to come together
thanks council and lmhr for a fantastic day
Marian Bishop said:
Well done the people of Barnsley, I am really sick of the BNP and was so annoyed last week that they had a party political party and Nick Griffin was sat a desk with a photo of Churchill behind him, what a disgrace.
Scott Doonican said:
I think we said enough on Saturday, but let’s just get one thing crystal clear as there is less than seven hours to go.
Winston Churchill was given a state funeral, a national day of mourning when he died, for one very important reason, and that was because he dd what he could to ensure there would never be a Nazi Britain while he was the Prime Minister of GREAT Britain. The audacity and irony that the BNP should use his image as their ‘poster boy’ just shows what low-life scummy tactics they sink to. Britain will NEVER be great with them in charge.
Churchill was a Conservative politician – why would the BNP be using a ‘conservative’ politician to forward their own party. Would it be that they are actually latching onto the fact that he was recognised in a 2002 poll as the ‘Greatest Briton’ of all time.
How very low indeed.
I am very worried about the state of Barnsley as we approach the general election. It was a well known and widely documented fact that, in years gone by, if they stuck a monkey with a red rosette on it up for the vote it would get in in the ‘tarn’, now it seems that because Labour seem to have no real charisma since Brown arrived the people are changing to something that will not help them at all rather than vote for anyone else. Many Barnsley people would admit they’d rather die than vote Tory, fair enough guys, I understand that your dad’s would roll in theri graves, but if they’re looking down on you what would they REALLY think.
For God’s sake, wake up and smell the bloody coffee.
Stand up, be counted and make sure your vote keeps the fascists out.
Our schools, children, human rights and equality will all suffer.
Oh and to all of the Polish immigrants who are feeling opressed by your workmates who have been fed the lies and corruption of these people, take this on board…
Miałem kiedyś dziewczynę z Krakowa powiedział mi kiedyś, że jeśli ona nigdy nie przyszła do Anglii, by robić to, co mogła, aby żyć i rozwijać, że nigdy nie żyć poza państwem, które nie było jej rodzinnego kraju, bo był bardzo dumny z jej dziedzictwo. Rozumiem, że wszystkie tak ciężko i to jedną radę, jeśli w przyszłości masz głosu, używać go, jak w przyszłości w naszym kraju zależy od niego. Mam nadzieję, że mój biedny usprawiedliwienia dla Polski jest wystarczająco jasne. miłości, pokoju i zrozumienia. Kocham cię
I’m sure there are those that would like my head on a pole now. Go to the ballot boxes and sort this shit out once and for all.
Peace, love and understanding
Scott D
Donkey said:
It was a truely inspiring day, well organised and coordinated, when the whole of the centre of Barnsley seemed to be buzzing to the sound of music of all kinds against the racism and fascism of the BNP, even when it was chucking it down with torrential rain in the freezing cold thousands carried on dancing.
Most emphasis was rightly put on condemning the racism of the BNP by musicians and performers alike but it was a shame there was not more politics, with more emphasis put on the fascism of this vile party of poison and the global neo liberal capitalist imperialist crisis and the deep crisis of working class political representation that has helped give rise to it.
The struggle continues !