Rise Festival fans hold protest picnic in Finsbury Park (From Haringey Independent)

Rise Festival fans hold protest picnic in Finsbury Park

9:36am Monday 13th July 2009 in

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A FORMER Haringey music festival lived on in spirit yesterday when fans came together for a protest picnic in Finsbury Park.

Rise Festival pulled crowds of up to 100,000 people last year with acts as big as reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and CSS, but was axed in April by Mayor Boris Johnson who said the £551,000 price tag was too high.

A group of die-hard supporters gathered at the event's traditional site on the day it was due to be held, playing music and sharing drinks in the hope of keeping it alive.

Mike Barnard, a spokesman for protest group UpRise, said: “We are trying to raise awareness of what has been taken away from us. We are really pleased with the turn out today.

“We are in a recession. Why not have a free festival. To take it away during a recession is ridiculous.”

Trade Union sponsors pulled out in 2008 after a re-branding by the London Mayor's office stripped Rise of its anti-racism message, replacing the traditional slogans with “celebrating diversity”.

The move left Mr Johnson paying for the full cost of the festival, an amount his office said would not be “appropriate” for a single music event.

But the row left music fans in the area without what UpRise members say was the biggest anti-racism festival in Europe at a time when it was at its peak of popularity.

Danny Kreel, 24, of Lothair Road South, said: “I just think it was such a fantastic day out for people who live in the area.

“I live locally and it was a fixture in the calendar every year. It was a chance to see great music, eat great food and meet really like minded people.”

Hopes for the future have not died, with UpRise saying they hope to pursue sponsors for a possible come back in 2010.

They are planning a number of events in between now and then to raise support.

Mr Barnard said: “We've got a long shot hope that Boris might bring it back but we have got enough support that we hope we may be able to have our own event next year.”