Tensions mount ahead of BNP victory rally

A small throng of demonstrators arrived early today ahead of British National Party leader Nick Griffin’s victory speech in Blackpool, England.

Four hours ahead of the newly elected MEP’s speech to a party rally, about 30 anti-fascism demonstrators converged outside the New Kimberley Hotel on the south promenade.

They were joined by a similar number of police officers in high-visibility gear and plain-clothed officers patrolling around the hotel.

Inside, scores of BNP members were arriving to sign in and prepare for the two-day Victory 09 event.

The annual session was supposed to focus on party politics and be a debrief after the Euro elections in which Mr Griffin won a seat in the North West, and Andrew Brons was elected in Yorkshire and the Humber.

However, it was retagged Victory 09 following the far-right party’s success.

Protesting outside, Raymond Bennett, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, held up offensive, threatening posters which he claimed had been put through his door by the party.

He said: “Don’t tell me it’s a normal political party – that’s what the Nazi Party said in the 1930s. And we must expose them.

“It doesn’t matter what Nick Griffin says.

“They are respectable in the daytime but at night go around kicking in doors.”

He added: “They present themselves as a normal party but behind the mask they are fascists.

“In these unsure times when people are losing their jobs there is a danger that a minority are turning to the politics of division and hatred.

“We will always be here following the BNP and protesting against them.”

Mr Griffin said of the celebration rally: "This is for our key people and activists all over the country and to say thank you to them.

“There are a number of speeches from me, Andrew Brons, my fellow MEP, and several other key party officials who made this happen.

“We will be talking about where we go from here and to make sure we serve out constituents properly.

“This is usually our summer school, which is a political training weekend, but, with winning two seats, we haven’t had time to do that justice and in effect it has been downgraded to a political jolly.

“I will be talking about the mountains we had to climb to get here and win two seats and the incredibly co-ordinated campaigns by other politicians and sections of the media against us – and about how overcoming that is what we have to do to make sure we repay the trust in our electors.”

In reference to the demonstrators outside the hotel, the party leader said the BNP would take legal action to ensure they obeyed the law if the police did not.