nick’s (n)-line life

Augh, those nutsy BNP people are campaigning in Cambridge again:

CEN News : City Edition : Outcry as BNP plans city leaflet campaign
…
The far-right party has set up a new group in Cambridge and plans to start leafleting estates in Arbury and Chesterton.

It may also field candidates in future local elections. A message on the party’s official website says the new group will concentrate its efforts on council estates and hold regular meetings.
…
He said the group would be meeting once a fortnight, but refused to reveal the location.
…
“If issues arise we will field an alternative candidate for people who are dissatisfied with the current system, even if it is for a protest vote,” he said. “Or we might ask our members to vote for one of the other parties.”

Local campaign group Unite Against Fascism said there was very little support for the BNP in Cambridge.

I’m never sure whether to be angry with these people or to feel sorry for them. At the end of the day a truly democratic system needs to allow all views to be expressed, even views as repulsive as the BNP’s. However, it’s vert sad to see these views actively targeting some of the most vulnerable members of society, those people with the most pent up hostility ( “A message on the party’s official website says the new group will concentrate its efforts on council estates and hold regular meetings.”) .The leaders play on people’s fears and insecurities to propagate their nationalistic messages of racism and hatred. They try to get those people involved in their “movement” and pull them along with the flow, claiming they support workers rights etc, and then when push comes to shove the out-and-out racism crawls out.

I’m also never sure about what can be done about them. As I say I don’t think anti-BNP type legislation (as they have in some other European countries) is the answer. The only real way of dealing with them is to make sure their message is met with scorn and ridicule and on this note it’s very satisfying to read that they are too scared to reveal the location of their meetings (presumably they are worried that several hundred protesters will turn up! [well yes they probably would, certainly if I had anything to do with it!])

Anyway, It’s going to be worth keeping a watchful eye on this on this one. Grrr, fielding a candidate in elections… dream on guys!