On Sunday 1st November, five members of the fascist group United Patriots Front (UPF) gained entry to the premises of 3CR Community Radio and filmed throughout the building without permission. In an effort to intimidate the station and its programmers, they then posted the video on their Facebook page.
3CR reasserts its commitment to progressive politics and our core mission of providing a voice to people denied one elsewhere in the media and in society. We stand by our commitment to providing a voice for Muslims, newly arrived migrants, Indigenous people, unions, women, queers, the working class, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and people with a disability.
3CR was established in 1976 and the station currently has about 400 programmers broadcasting over 120 programs a week in 19 different languages. There are a diverse range of organisations affiliated to the station ranging from trade unions to housing groups to music appreciation clubs.
The behaviour of this far-right group is therefore utterly ridiculous.
However the UPF is of concern because of its racist, Islamophobic and anti-semitic beliefs, its hostility to the left and its capacity for violence.
On the same day the UPF came to 3CR, they also made an unwelcome visit to the Melbourne Anarchist Club.
We totally reject these tactics of intimidation and express our solidarity with other groups subjected to their harassment and vilification.
We call on the people of Melbourne to join us in rejecting this amateur schoolyard bullying and the politics of fear that make it possible. The routine Islamophobia present in mainstream politics and the media must stop and the indefinite detention of refugees must stop. We call on our political leaders to take some responsibility.
3CR urges all people concerned with upholding basic principles of human dignity, diversity and fairness to attend the protest against racism and fascism on Sunday 22 November, 11AM https://www.facebook.com/events/1658598611090891/ on the steps of Parliament House. Gather around the 3CR banner.
We also encourage people to attend the Melbourne Anarchist Club Open Day on Sunday 8 November from 12PM. https://www.facebook.com/events/2070425446432067/
To support proudly independent and diverse radio, donate online at http://www.3cr.org.au/donate or subscribe at http://www.3cr.org.au/subscribe
For more information contact Marian McKeown or James McKenzie on 9419 8377 or email stationmanager@3cr.org.au
