Challenge BNP stalls!

Submitted by Matthew on 7 October, 2010 - 3:03 Author: Joan Trevor

The BNP’s internal difficulties continue; they are in debt and have expelled their London Assembly member Richard Barnbrook. However, their “tabletop” campaign is giving them new life at the grassroots.

Nationwide, they are running Saturday stalls under the banner “Support our troops, bring our boys home”. They are getting a good response, partly because people don’t realise that it’s the BNP, confusing them with “Help for Heroes”, or because people are not fussy about who brings an “anti-war” message. Where they are challenged, however, as they have been in Liverpool and in north London, they are reluctant to return to even a productive pitch. They must be challenged, although it won’t be easy. A comment on their website boasts:

“This table top single issue concept is the best way to promote us as a group of caring people.... This is an ace up our sleeve: small groups of campaigners setting up stalls and campaigning in the traditional age-old way. Two hours here, an hour there, an hour somewhere else. Local planning makes this guerrilla campaigning instantly effective!”

And while they are exploiting popular sympathy for British troops in Afghanistan now, in the spring they could be exploiting anger over cuts to local services.

If they are in your area, write to the local paper exposing them, organise groups of people to go and challenge them. Barnet TUC has produced some materials. Email info@barnettuc.org.uk for copies.

EDL in Leicester

EDL have been denied permission to march in Leicester on Saturday 9 October, but say they will march and will not cooperate with police on the day — it is not the first time, however, that they have made such threats, and to date they have not acted on them.

UAF have called a static counter-demonstration, assembling at 11.30am at the Clock Tower, Leicester City Centre.

Youth clubs and educational services in the city are putting heavy pressure on young people to keep away from the city centre.

If local people do turn out to confront the EDL, anti-racists and anti-fascists should be prepared to support them, rather than insisting on maintaining the respectable unity of their own protests, most likely at a distance from the EDL. Bradford showed that the EDL can be confronted effectively.

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