BNP Claims the Streets of Liverpool
Liverpool, previously one of the most militant leftist cities in Britain, today gave a rapturous welcome to a 150-strong BNP demonstration in support of free speech.
Thousands of ‘Racism Cuts Both Ways’ booklets and other BNP leaflets were distributed in a co-ordinated day of campaigning in the city centre, which saw the Truth Truck and three other A-frame advertising vehicles sweep through large parts of the surrounding suburbs, all proudly carrying the party’s message to thousands of well wishers.
The BNP activists on foot – which included party chairman Nick Griffin, deputy leader Simon Darby, Greater London Assembly member Richard Barnbrook – then converged on the city centre at around midday, occupying one of the major pedestrianised intersections.
There, with flags flying, the BNP activists, which included an age range spread from pensioners to youngsters, continued distributing leaflets and recruiting from members of the public. A small crowd of bussed-in leftists were kept at bay by a police presence.
After an hour and half, the BNP crowd moved to the steps of St. George’s Hall in the city centre, where Mr Griffin gave a short address, pointing out that it was the preparedness of the BNP activists to be arrested en masse which had driven the police to withdraw all charges against the ‘Liverpool 13′ earlier in the day.
“Those charges would have hung over our people’s families until February if it had not been for the fact that hundreds of BNP activists were quite prepared to be arrested today,” Mr Griffin said.
“We hope that we have now established a sensible working basis with the police in Liverpool, and we welcome the appointment of a liaison officer for the BNP to ensure that there are no future incidents,” he continued.
Later, Mr Griffin spoke from the back of the Truth Truck at the post-demonstration social event, in which he called upon BNP activists to rally once again for protests in Blackburn, Colne and then converging on Burnley police station.
“This must happen on 11 February, as we still have people in Lancashire under threat of prosecution for the same freedom of speech laws for which the Liverpool 13 were held,” Mr Griffin said.
* Police have claimed that three people were arrested during the event. The BNP has ascertained that two of the three were pro-Labour demonstrators, and the third was another individual unconnected to the BNP.
