"Never again" call from residents living near BNP festival site (with audio)
VILLAGERS are pleading with the BNP not to hold its festival
near their homes again, after violent left-wing protests
-
outside the site.
About 40 activists clashed with riot police near the Red,
White and Blue festival, in Denby, resulting in 33 arrests and
an officer being injured. Four hundred anti-BNP protesters also
turned out for a generally peaceful march and rally in
Codnor.
And people living near the site, in Codnor-Denby Lane, said
they were kept awake by noise and flashing lights from inside
the festival and drunks were making Nazi-style salutes outside
their homes.
Now residents, Amber Valley MP Judy Mallaber and the area's
county councillor, Eric Lancashire, are calling for the BNP not
to return next year to ensure the violence does not happen
again.
John Lumsden, 65, of Codnor-Denby Lane, said: "The fighting
only goes to show what an unsuitable place this is."
Ms Mallaber said: "I am opposed to the BNP being here and I
condemn the people who created the disorder outside. It is
extremely distressing for people living nearby."
But BNP member Alan Warner, who hosted the festival on his
fields, said it would be back "bigger and better" next year and
said all the trouble had been caused by left-wing
protesters.
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13 Comments
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by Frank, littleover
Tuesday, August 19 2008, 1:44PM
“I have no love for the BNP, but by the looks of things the "far Left" are just as bad.
Who's to say from this stupidity who's right.
I for one will have nothing to do with either.”
by BV Singh, Derby
Monday, August 18 2008, 2:29PM
“This was carefully arranged by the police and organizers that there would be no coverage of the racist thugs doing their 'festival' and all attention was to focus on protestors.That is why people are only picking on protestors.There should be no BNP in this country.If England can go to war to eliminate nazis from this world,then pray,what are nazis doing on its soil???Isn't it a blooming farce?”
by Joanne, Derbys
Monday, August 18 2008, 2:14PM
“Beverly- please take some time to look at what the BNP
stand for, and their ideologies.
You make out as if they are soft cuddly people, coming for a tea in the park.
I totally agree with you, there appear to have been some extremism in the "anti" faction,
which is unacceptable.
But more unnacceptible to me is the fact that the BNP are having a public event of this kind, and is bound to incite extreme reactions.
This country needs to go forwards, not backwards....”
by Beverley, Local
Monday, August 18 2008, 1:49PM
“Funny, I saw no "nazi" style salutes - all I saw were people whom I now know to be left wing supporters hurling missiles at the police force, hurling abuse at residents who they believed to be attending the BNP event, and trashing our village.
The protesters, one officer told me, were shipped from all over the country! What on earth for?
BNP - welcome.
Ant-BNP stay away.”
by Mitsouko, UK
Monday, August 18 2008, 11:51AM
“"drunks were making Nazi-style salutes outside their homes."
This is not surprising. The BNP themselves make no secret of their admiration for Nazi ideology - it is only the media who play this side of them down and express outrage at the actions of the protesters.
Thank god for the protesters is all I can say - read 'The Gentle Creep of Fascism' in the Sunday Herald yesterday (can be read online) for a breath of fresh air - it is extremely rare for the media to expose what the BNP is all about and to instead condemn the protesters - a VERY worrying new trend indeed.”