In spite of their hype, the BNP are failing to make progress on the issue of the Skegness halal slaughterhouse. Their last demo was disappointing, turning out only 30 supporters, some of whom were so disappointed with the local organisation that they handed in their membership cards afterwards. Local activists blamed the time of year and lack of advertising for the poor turnout.

No such excuses could be blamed for a similarly poor turnout (we counted about 30 in their photoshoot) yesterday. Thanks to the decision of Johnston Press to give the BNP an advert for their demo in the local newspaper, the Skegness Standard, the fascist party had had all the publicity they could hope for. So no progress for the BNP and, given the rumours suggesting that the slaughterhouse is being run into the ground by incompetent owners, the issue could soon be a moot point.

Thanks to some constructive dialogue with the editor of the Skegness Standard over his paper’s coverage of the issues, most of the East Midlands Anti-fascists’ statement, telling the truth about the BNP’s fake concern for animals, was published yesterday.

Lincolnshire Coastal Branch had better find another issue to exploit fast, because this one is turning into a dead duck.

The fascist British National Party will hold a demonstration outside Skegness’ halal slaughterhouse today. In the absence of a genuine animal rights movement, the BNP is exploiting the real concern of local people about the treatment of animals for its own racist and divisive political agenda.

The BNP only campaign against halal slaughter, not the almost identical kosher slaughter or animal rights abuses committed by white British farmers, because they have identified racism against Asian Muslims as a vote winner.(1) Genuine animal rights activists, such as Bristol Animal Rights Collective, have called the focus on halal slaughter “a sign of racial and cultural discrimination” and stated that they “hope [fascists] will be shown that they’re not welcome in Skegness or the animal liberation movement!”(2)

The BNP’s supposed stance against animal cruelty is hypocrisy. The party has given active support to fox hunting in the past. When the Hunting Bill banning the hunting of foxes with dogs was given the Royal Ascent, the BNP announced that “BNP supporters were devastated by the news” calling fox hunting “a sport which has an important role to play”.(3) The BNP is only interested in recruiting people and winning votes, not the plight of animals.

Unlike the BNP, East Midlands Anti-fascists are opposed to ALL animal cruelty.(4) We do not make distinctions based on the ethnic or religious background of the perpetrators.

Under the coalition government’s regime of austerity, ordinary people are suffering due to wage freezes, job losses and cuts to public services. Because, unlike the main parties, the BNP have no history of mismanaging the country, some people are tempted to give them their support. However, the BNP’s divisive policies offer no solution to the current crisis, only serving to divide the working class along racial and cultural lines and making it easier for bosses to exploit us.

East Midlands Anti-fascists oppose the BNP and other fascist groups because we believe the only way we can change our everday lives is by working together: workers and the unemployed, women and men and people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It is corrupt politicians and leeching company bosses who are holding us down, not immigrants or Muslims.

We want to shut down the Skegness slaughterhouse and all factory farming. We also want to shut down the anti-working class policies of the BNP.

Notes:

(1) The BNP has stated that “We reject both pro-Zionist internationalism… and the Islamification of our homelands. Which enemy is it in our political interest to be seen to be opposing more vigorously at the moment? To a party aiming to win seats in London, the West Midlands and the former mill-towns of Northern England, the answer should be pretty obvious.”

(2) See the full statement by Bristol Animal Rights Collective here.

(3) The Real Countryside Alliance also lists the extensive links between hunting and the far right.

(4) The East Midlands Anti-fascists blog is an independent website set up to monitor and oppose the far right across the region.