[IMC-UK-Features] Feature proposal: Anti-fascists challenge BNP's return to Derbyshire

[Behindthe Mask]

For UK, Notts & Anti-Racist pages:
https://we.riseup.net/nottsimc/anti-fascists-prepare-for-bnp-s-return-to-derbyshi

Title: Anti-fascists challenge BNP's return to Derbyshire 
Author: Notts IMC
Image: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2009/08/436313.jpg

<p>Last weekend saw the British National Party (BNP) return to the
village of Denby, Derbyshire. For the third year in a row, the fascist
party were holding their annual Red, White and Blue "festival" in the
village, on land owned by party member and former Tory councillor Alan
Warner. Anti-fascists protested outside the site. The BNP's recent
successes in the European Elections appear to have strengthened the
demonstrators' resolve with reports indicating that 1,000-1,500
anti-fascists mobilised against the event.
</p> 
Last year the event was protested by several hundred activists in the
nearby village of Codnor, while a smaller group of antifascists
attempted to block access to the site. The campaign against the festival
has continued throughout the year with Warner and event organiser, <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/02/422286.html">David
Shapcott</a>, having been "visited" by anti-fascists. Warner appears to
have decided that enough is enough and <a
href="http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/politics/Man-hosts-annual-BNP-festival-says/article-1057383-detail/article.html" Title="Article in the Derbyshire Evening Telegraph">told the Derbyshire Evening Telegraph</a> earlier this year that he was looking to move.
</p>
<p><strong>Photos:</strong> <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436369.html">Report of anti BNP protest in Codnor with 20 photos</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436312.html">BNP 'Red, White and Blue' festival hit by direct action </a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436296.html">Photos from Protest against the BNP's Red White and Blue Festival 2009 </a>
</p>
<p><strong>On the newswire:</strong> <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436333.html">Report from the protest against the BNP's RWB festival 2009</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436293.html">First report back from RWB demo</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436238.html">BNP nazi guest barred from UK</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/07/434508.html">Nazi farmer Warner gets another visit</a> | <a href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/06/433536.html">Stop the BNP's 'Festival' of Hate</a> | <a href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/05/431141.html">BNP confirm RWB will be held in Derbyshire for a third year</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/02/422944.html">Fascist farmer targetted again</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/02/422286.html">The BNP's 'RWB' Organizer Gets An Early Call</a>
</p>
<p><strong>Previous Features:</strong> <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/08/407267.html">Protests greet BNP "festival"</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/region/nottinghamshire/2008/08/405174.html">Anti-fascists Prepare to Stop BNP "Festival"</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/region/nottinghamshire/en/2008/06/402066.html">BNP Withdraw Festival Licence Application in the Face of Protests</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/region/nottinghamshire/en/2008/05/398480.html">East Mids Campaigners Up The Anti as BNP Make Electoral Gains</a> | <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/region/nottinghamshire/en/2008/01/389844.html">Midlands and Yorkshire organise against the BNP</a>
</p>
<p><strong>Links:</strong> <a href="http://www.antifa.org.uk/">Antifa
England</a> | <a href="http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/">Hope Not Hate</a>
| <a href="http://nobnpfestival.wordpress.com/">Stop the BNP's RWB
Festival</a> | <a href="http://www.uaf.org.uk/">Unite Against
Fascism</a> | <strong><a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2008/nobnpfestival/">Indymedia UK Stop RWB topic page</a></strong></p>
<p>The BNP were protected by a massive police presence involving
officers from five counties, including mounted police, a dog team, the
Derbyshire <a
href="http://www.anonimizar.com.ar/?http://www.derbyshire.police.uk/youngspace/31.html" title="Derbyshire Police - page for children about the helicopter">police helicopter</a> (which they share with Nottinghamshire) and an unmanned surveillance drone. The operation cost around £500,000 and Derbyshire Police have <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/home-office-asked-to-pay-for-policing-bnp-1773098.html" Title="Article in the Independent">appealed to the Home Office</a> to bear the cost. According to mainstream media reports, 19 people were arrested during the demonstrations (including a number for <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jg2taO_rFyzR54lv-Xns5CNvfC6Q" Title="Associated Press Article - hosted by Google">"acting unlawfully"</a>). It is not clear these were all protesters as it has also been <a href="http://news.stv.tv/uk/116645-three-charged-over-racial-taunt-at-bnp-rally/" Title="Reuters report">reported</a> that three people were charged with racially aggravated public order offences
</p>
<p>In the run-up to the festival, Preston Wiginton, an American white
supremacist who had been invited to speak at the event, was <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2009/08/436238.html">banned from entering the UK</a>.
</p>