The Fall of Rise?

[ruby27]

Europe's biggest anti-racism festival, Rise, is to be stripped of the message at its centre. Its tagline of "London United Against Racism"

"Mayor Boris Johnson has ditched the anti racism theme of the cities biggest free music festival"
instead
Johnson's spokeswoman, the festival will now promote 'culture and community dimensions'.

A worrying sign that the fight against racism has been marginalised no surprise given Boris's views, or ....

[Theland1]

Given Boris's views? He's married to an Asian lady. Doesn't that illustrate his views?

[flip_flop]

Give me Big Boris over the anti-semite any day of the week.

[Quinlad]

Ah. That old chesnut.

Regardless of who he's maried to or 'whether some of his best friends are black', he has an appalling record when it comes to promoting racial harmony. Presumably you don't need me to list his utterances yet again?

This is a predictable own goal.

[Quinlad]

When it comes to the Middle East, nothing beats the charge of anti-semitism as a hands-over-the-ears, la-la-la debate closer.

[Theland1]

Has Boris not simply fell foul of the politically correct brigade?

[Booldawg]

Promoting culture and community dimensions is hardly stripping the central message. Boris has simply binned the finger-pointing 'I'm not racist but you are' slant.

[jake-the-peg]

http://www.thelondondailynews.com/boris-bins-f estivals-antiracism-message-p-815.html

[jake-the-peg]

I think that it's a sign that Boris doesn't think that racism is a problem.

He's white rich and upper class I'm sure it's no issue at all to him.

I'm sure he thinks similar about sex equality too

[Quinlad]

On Africa

"No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh, and the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird."
� In 2002, on Tony Blair's visit to the Democratic of Republic of Congo, Daily Telegraph

"Right, let's go and look at some more piccaninnies."
� Reported remark, while visiting Uganda, to Swedish Unicef workers and their black driver, the Observer, 2003

On failing to recognise his Filipina housekeeper

"When our housekeeper appeared on stage in her hot pink strapless number [as a finalist of the Mrs Philippines 2005 contest in London], I failed at first to recognise her, surrounded as she was by 10 other Filipina mums, each shimmering in every shade from fuchsia to Germolene ... Was that Luz, the No 6, the one with the cleavage? Or was she No 5, with the smile? Surely she wasn't No 11, the one with the legs. No: wait - that was her, with her hair up. No 8! 'We want eight,' we screamed, and waved at good old Luz, a woman who has been exposed to the full horror of the Johnson family washing and yet contrived to look little short of $1m.
� The Spectator, 2005

On Islam

"The most viciously sectarian of all religions in its heartlessness towards unbelievers."
� The Spectator, 2005

[Theland1]

Can't argue with his views on islam then.

[flip_flop]

Where's the racism Quinlad?

[WaldoMcFroog]

"Will Mr Theland please report to reception where his irony bypass is waiting for him. Thank you."

[jake-the-peg]

You don't think that portraying the people of the Congo as ignorant tribesmen who think in terms of "big white birds"

Or referring to people as pickanninies
is offensively racist?

The dictionary disagrees

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=picka ninny

See it says offensive just in case Boris should need to check

[flip_flop]

Piccannie was a 'reported' remark and therefore cannot be used in an argument on whether Boris is a racist or not.

The other expamples given by Quinlad are most certainly not racist.

[jake-the-peg]

But in context the whole tone is superior and arrogant.

And gives the impression of looking down your nose at the sort of benighted savages civilised people might find there.

It displays a prejudicial attitude

It's the sort of thing you can get away with if you're in your eighties and married to the Queen. But not if you're the Mayor of London.

He's been saying of course that that's "old Boris" and is now gone.

Unfortunately I rather think that that indicates not a change of attitude but rather a new resolve not to let himself get caught spouting such stuff again.

I suspect the strain will get too much just in time for the Olympics!

[weggiewabbit]

But not if you�re the Mayor of London

His predecessor did worse things than that!