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BNP activists threaten community arts group in Coalville

Nottinghamshire IMC | 20.01.2006 17:15 | Anti-racism | Culture

The annual community lantern festival in Coalville, Leicestershire was moved from just before christmas to coincide with the Chinese New Year celebrations this year. Members from the far-right British National Party (BNP) think that because of the 'removal of Christian symbolism and tradition from Christmas' it needs them to 'once again save another British tradition'.

Ever since the rescheduling of the event was announced, local members of the BNP have threatened the organisers of the community run event. Verbal abuse from people ringing up the group has become a daily occurance since the BNP posted the contact details on their website. The BNP, who claim to be the 'law and order party' recently published another article on their website inciting criminal damage, calling on people to protest the usage of the words 'white trash' in a recent episode of the TV soap serie Coronation Street. A prominent member of the party in Lincoln recently appeared in court for multiple counts of arson and criminal damage. Read article.

Links: Photos from last years lantern festival | Watch video of last years lanternfestival: [1] [2] | Stop the BNP (website full of facts and research) | Wikipedia on the BNP | Previous articles on Indymedia on the BNP

From the Notts Indymedia newswire: Lincoln BNP member in court ! | Meeting called at uni after BNP article published in student paper



The BNP seems to worry a lot about the 'attacks on christianity' as they call it. Quoting a BNP article named 'Christianity On The Defensive', Clive Potter, a prominent Leicester BNP activist, who was expelled from UNISON a few years ago for bringing the trade union into disrepute through his far-right activities writes; 'In November 2004 a pre-Christmas lantern procession involving 600 children at Coalville in NW Leicestershire was dropped after the National Lottery Awards For All Scheme, which provides funding for the annual procession, terminated the procession, reluctant to provide cash for a religious event.' Now an article calling for action on the BNP website has sparked a wave of abuse towards the staff of Mantle Arts organising the event. Clive Potter is the local BNP man for Leicestershire North West, who managed to gain 772 votes (1.9%) in the last election.

Nottinghamshire IMC

Comments

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BNP and Christmas

27.01.2006 16:05

Contrary to what the BNP seem to think in their ignorance, Christmas is not a 'British Tradition'. It is a celebration of a message of peace and goodwill to all men and women. Christ, if he had any nationality, was in fact Jewish.
Shalom,
From a Christian.

Philip

Facts please, not stories.

06.02.2006 18:34

I was shocked when I read your article about the BNP's farcical reaction to the Lantern Festival, it's nature and timing and their alleged behaviour (daily threatening calls and behaviour towards a community arts group making paper lanterns!!?). I visited the lantern website using the link and telephoned them to offer my support as I thought this would be a nice gesture in the face of threatening calls. I was however embarassed to discover that they knew nothing of the campaign against them and that they had not recieved a single threatening call.
I am all for freedom of information but let's make sure that the free information is accurate, otherwise the propagators fall into the same category as those such as the BNP who spout pointless myths in the hope of generating support... It seems that the BNP have published another frighteningly childish article here and that somewhere along the line, things have been blown out of proportion, so I have decided to take my own action and persistently annoy them on the telephone during my lunch hour... OK, a bit childish too, but quite satisfying.

Martin Vicker