By Stephen Aselford, chair of Croydon DPAC

On September 5, Croydon Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) will be protesting alongside local trade unions and anti-fascists against the BNP coming to Croydon. Standing up to racism and fascism is a key concern for many disabled campaigners.

DPAC is a disabled people-led campaign group, set up to challenge the disproportionate impact of cuts on disabled people and known for high-profile actions such as the attempt to storm Parliament in to oppose the closure of the Independent Living Fund. We are fighting for a society built on fairness and social justice that is run in the interests of the 99 per cent and puts people before profit.

The BNP’s announcement that they are coming to Croydon to demonstrate outside Lunar House represents an attempt to stir up hatred and divide our community. Migrants were not responsible for the financial crisis. In fact, our economy and vital services that disabled people rely on, including the NHS and social care services, are dependent on migrant labour. I am proud to live in an area as diverse and vibrant as Croydon.

The BNP include known Nazi admirers. Disabled people remember how the Nazis treated disabled people, calling them “useless eaters” and exterminating hundreds of thousands in their Aktion T4 programme. The mass killing techniques they used to murder millions of Jewish people were developed on disabled people. Nazi propaganda posters told the Germans how much disabled people “cost” the economy to stir up hatred against them.

We must never again give a foothold to the Nazis. On September 5, the community in Croydon will be standing up and saying that migrants are welcome but the BNP are not. We invite everyone opposed to racism and fascism to join us.

• For information about the demonstration called by Croydon Trades Union Council and Unite Against Fascism click here

• Inside Croydon Events: for dates and links to what’s happening in and around Croydon, updated daily, click here

• ---

  Inside Croydon: Named among best regional media campaigns, 2014.

• Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough: 729,297 page views in 2014.
• If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com