The British People's Party - Staggering from disaster to desperation
K.Bullstreet | 13.11.2008 15:47 | Anti-racism | Sheffield
Those who attended the antifascist counter-demo against the BPP in Leeds a few weeks ago may have been surprised at the sheer gall of the BPP claiming they had turned out even 21 neo-Nazis. For weeks beforehand the BPP had been crowing about “taking back the streets” from the “filthy reds”, but as everyone who was there saw, their ‘demo’ (such as it was), began more than 2 hours late, while they hid (unwelcome) in the back room of a closed pub, under police guard. Then eventually, after the cops had finally managed to clear a space for them, about 11 fascists shuffled out to a sheep-pen, protected by more than 200 cops. Here, they stood, completely isolated, being jeered and laughed at, for 45 minutes, before running away to be driven out of Leeds by Asian taxi drivers. They gave out not one single racist leaflet, not one person heard their venal rantings, and nor could anyone even read their silly placards. In short, the BPP’s “return to the streets” was a complete farce – a farce that had been paid for by grovelling to the cops for police protection, giving them the personal details of their membership, and informing on renegade fascist nut-case Tony White. In spite of this disaster, the BPP had the temerity to inflate their numbers to 21 (itself a pitiful figure), to claim the ‘demo’ was a success, and to compare their cowardly outing to the Battle of Agincourt!
Bearing this in mind, when we read the BPP claim they managed to turn out a “handful” of BPP “members and supporters” on Rememberance Sunday (when they generally turn up to some out of the way war memorial), one really does have to wonder what the true figure was. Perhaps, as with their Leeds ‘demo’ they inflated the figure by including children they hid behind, or even octogenarian fascist Frank Walsh’s shopping trolley! Perhaps BPP Gruppenfuhrer Kate McDermody even brought along one of her cats!
As previously predicted by Antifa, it did not take long for the tentative alliance between the BPP, various would-be paramilitary groups, and elements of the National Front to fall out. Following Tony White’s arrest, the ‘hard-men’ of the so-called ‘Racial Volunteer Force’ and the ‘British Freedom Fighters’ gave the Leeds BPP demo second thoughts, and were consequently derided as “cowards” and “wankers” by the BPP (who bravely stood behind 200 cops.) Perhaps these shaven-headed numbskulls had finally woken up to the fact they were simply being used and manipulated by McDermody and her BPP sidekick, Kevin Watmough, who had (as usual, and much like the UAF/SWP) been calling for “unity”.
For the moment at least, the BPP have realised that the game is up with their version of “unity”, issuing a statement severing all ties with their former allies, while sucking up to groups they have worked with in the past (but more recently slagged off), such as the miniscule ‘England First Party’, and even the BNP’s Nick Griffin! The BPP really must be desperate, and nothing shows that more than the name put to this statement, Eddie Stampton, who is now apparently their ‘National Organiser’! If Stampton, an inveterate liar with a sordid reputation, has been promoted to this position, the BPP really must be desperate. How much longer they can hide behind bluster and outright lies, without finally throwing in the towel, remains to be seen, but there’s an old antifascist adage: “Never hit a Nazi when he’s down...Kick him, it’s easier!”
Antifa report on the BPP’s Leeds ‘demo’:
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2008/10/411196.html
Bearing this in mind, when we read the BPP claim they managed to turn out a “handful” of BPP “members and supporters” on Rememberance Sunday (when they generally turn up to some out of the way war memorial), one really does have to wonder what the true figure was. Perhaps, as with their Leeds ‘demo’ they inflated the figure by including children they hid behind, or even octogenarian fascist Frank Walsh’s shopping trolley! Perhaps BPP Gruppenfuhrer Kate McDermody even brought along one of her cats!
As previously predicted by Antifa, it did not take long for the tentative alliance between the BPP, various would-be paramilitary groups, and elements of the National Front to fall out. Following Tony White’s arrest, the ‘hard-men’ of the so-called ‘Racial Volunteer Force’ and the ‘British Freedom Fighters’ gave the Leeds BPP demo second thoughts, and were consequently derided as “cowards” and “wankers” by the BPP (who bravely stood behind 200 cops.) Perhaps these shaven-headed numbskulls had finally woken up to the fact they were simply being used and manipulated by McDermody and her BPP sidekick, Kevin Watmough, who had (as usual, and much like the UAF/SWP) been calling for “unity”.
For the moment at least, the BPP have realised that the game is up with their version of “unity”, issuing a statement severing all ties with their former allies, while sucking up to groups they have worked with in the past (but more recently slagged off), such as the miniscule ‘England First Party’, and even the BNP’s Nick Griffin! The BPP really must be desperate, and nothing shows that more than the name put to this statement, Eddie Stampton, who is now apparently their ‘National Organiser’! If Stampton, an inveterate liar with a sordid reputation, has been promoted to this position, the BPP really must be desperate. How much longer they can hide behind bluster and outright lies, without finally throwing in the towel, remains to be seen, but there’s an old antifascist adage: “Never hit a Nazi when he’s down...Kick him, it’s easier!”
Antifa report on the BPP’s Leeds ‘demo’:
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2008/10/411196.html
K.Bullstreet
Homepage:
http://www.antifa.org.uk
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