What the large, black, clenched fist celebrates!

On 11 July 2008, The Daily Mail quoted Tommy Gallagher, Vice-Chairman of the Friends of Old Trafford community group, thus:

"A clenched fist is really racist to a lot of people around here. I think people want to see it removed now. They are not happy about it at all."

The Mail explained:

"It was meant as a powerful symbol commemorating the abolition of the slave trade and CELEBRATING GOOD COMMUNITY RELATIONS. Instead, a £15,000 sculpture installed in an inner-city park - depicting A LARGE, BLACK, CLENCHED FIST - has itself been accused of being racially divisive.

Local residents condemned the artwork as aggressive and offensive...

The metal fist, SIMILAR TO THE INFAMOUS BLACK POWER SALUTE BY TWO US ATHLETES AT THE 1968 OLYMPICS, is the centrepiece of the sculpture in Old Trafford, Manchester...

THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLENCE...

It was commissioned by ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITY GROUNDWORK with funding from the GOVERNMENT'S SAFER STRONGER COMMUNITIES FUND for deprived areas and THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND...

Tina Blake, Groundwork's community programme manager, said: 'The intention was never to offend anyone'."

The intention, my dear Tina, was precisely that.

And if you are so stupid that you didn't realise the black power salute might p*** whitey off, you're in the wrong job. Of, course, as far as the GOVERNMENT'S SAFER STRONGER COMMUNITIES FUND, THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND and the PC Crowd who oversee these organisations are concerned, someone this dim would be in precisely the RIGHT job.

Here is the £15,000 sculpture that our government, the EU and the Groundwork types wanted us to 'celebrate good community relations' with:



Or else!