Home U.K. Anti Nazi
On the weekend of 11-12 August, the BNP planned a 2-day festival called the Red, White and Blue festival, aimed at presenting a respectable, patriotic face to the community and potential supporters around Nick Griffin's hovel in Llanerfyl, on the A458 in Powys. Griffin, who was convicted of inc iting racial hatred in 1998, stood for election in Oldham West and sparked the worst riots for many years. He was later seen in Burnley the morning after the riots, look ing for support.
Griffin's deputy has been found guilty of bomb-making and the Lond on nailbomber, David Copeland was an active supporter of the BNP. The BNP have close links with the remnants of the National Front and Combat 18, and many would argue that the difference is hard to distinguish.
On the 11th of August, the Anti-Naz i League staged a demonstration in Welshpool and I tagged along. We were supposed to meet in Llanerfyl, near to Griffin's place, but the enormous Police presence kept us away and we were forced to make our way to Welshpool train station. We passed several roadblocks, manned by police from as far afield as Kiddeminster. When we met up with the ANL demo, we found out that Dyfed and Powis police were essentially acting as bodyguards and bouncers for Griffin's party. The BNP had been handing out passes to Naz is who were invited to the 'festival' and the police had been checking these invites at Griffin's r equest. All this at the taxpayers expense.
Many local people, many whom didn't know that Nick Griffin lived around there, showed up to support us. In Griffin's previous town, he had been ostracised by the community and had obviously kept his head down while living in Powys. A member of 'No Platform' - an anti-nazi o rganisation spoke to the crowd, explaining that he had been sent a copy of section 14 by the police, who clearly intended to intimidate him into not marching. He ended his speech by dramati cally ripping the notice in two. We were not allowed to march dow n the street, and when a few supporters attempted to, mounted police were called in to pu sh them back. An Member of the Welsh Assembly was present from Plaid Cymru and offered to negotiate w ith the police, who, she belived were collaborating with the na zis against our democratic rights. It was a shocking display of how the system allows desp icable and evil people to spread their message of hatred.
Despite all this, our message was h eard. On the way out of town the only topic of conversation a mong local people in the area was the presence of Nazis in their rural idyll. Whilst the police did their best to thwart the Anti-Nazi protest, Nick Griffin has truly shot himself in the foot. A dog doesn't foul it's own kennel, and by organising this rid iculous media stunt, Griffin has taken a great, big shit on his own doorstep. Local people are now alerted to his presence and, judging by the language we heard from locals today, he will find l ife in Powys significantly harder from now on.