In case you haven’t yet seen it, here is footage from the BBC which shows members of Unite Against Fascism – a joint venture between the extremist Socialist Workers’ Party and the Ken Livingstone’s Socialist Action – mobbing the BNP leader Nick Griffin.
Eggs are thrown.
No doubt, the counter-demonstrators believe that they are “fighting fascism”.
In reality, they are helping the BNP.
Make no mistake – the BNP is a semi-criminal conspiracy. Many of its key activists have convictions for racist violence. One of its new MEPs – Andrew Glans- has a conviction that arises from an incident in which he was discovered shouting “Kill the Jews” in the street, before having a go at a police officer.
The BNP know that their reputation for violence is their weakness.
That is why Nick Griffin’s spin is that it is the BNP that they are the victims of far Left thuggery. It is the best he can do, to distract public attention from the vicious nature of his own party.
And Unite Against Fascism play right into his hands.
Seriously – what is the value of egging Nick Griffin? Does it make SWP activists feel good? Do they think that the sight of an egg-covered Nick Griffin will encourage would-be BNP voters to reject his politics of hatred?
This wasn’t a spontaneous outburst of anger. This was a planned assault. It was illegal, reprehensible, and counterproductive.
The first step towards defeating the BNP is to take the fight against the far Right out of the hands of the far Left.
Update
John Wight at Socialist Unity is delighted