Protests outside the BBC
A crowd stood outside the BBC’s front gates shouting anti-fascist slogans, and holding placards. Inside the studio, an audience member told Clem Silverman, that the panel had not done enough to expose Griffin’s views.
Over 500 protesters gathered outside television centre to meet Nick Griffin MEP, the head of the British National Party, who was appearing on BBC Question Time. 25 people managed to enter the reception area when the front gates were opened to let a car past, though it was mostly peaceful.
A section of the crowd tried to push back police, dressed in full riot gear, to gain access to the rear of the BBC where they suspected Mr Griffin would exit after the program has finished recording.
Spilling onto the high street.
The protesters lit flares and blocked the A4020 Uxbridge Road. It appeared that the police were prepared to use the ‘kettling‘ technique used at the G20 summit in London earlier this year.
Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time 22nd of October, which is availble on BBC iPlayer.
A statement on the BNP website said that “Our violent opponents on the far left have promised to lay siege and barricade the studio venue, because they know only too well that this could be THE key moment that propels the BNP into the big time”.
The protest was organised to “voice the huge opposition” to Nick Griffin appearing on the “flagship politics program” BBC Question Time.
Sabby Dhalu
Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism, asked “would we have given a platform to Hitler?” during the 1930s, so why does the “broadcast media give the BNP a platform” from which to spout its fascist views?
She said that the BBC could be labeled right wing for not denouncing the BNP with the same vigour as the print media, including comments in the Daily Mail.
Ex-London Mayor and chair of Unite, Ken Livingstone, sent a press-release saying that ‘the public do not pay the license fee to have them abused be the BBC to spread hatred and intolerance’.
Some members of the crowd also took the opportunity to present a socialist -”the enemy is profit” – point of view.
Jim Kelly from Britain’s biggest Union Unite the Union said,
It’s important to oppose Griffin tonight because of what he stands for. I think the BBC are totally wrong on this one. After he speaks on here tonight there will be people like the English Defence League and other fascist groups that are going to go out on the back of this and attack ethnic minorities…it will stoke racial hatred and it’s the wrong descion
A member of the studio audience said after the filming that the other panelists had “all come prepared to attack Nick Griffin”, and that he did not stand up to scrutiny. However, he explained that those on the panel did not have a satisfactory answer as to why the BNP were gaining in popularity.
The BNP say that their policy on immigration is ‘reasonable, sensible, fair and just… which will guarantee that Britain remains British.’ The points of which will be discussed and broadcast on tonight’s Question Time programme.
See below for a video podcast of the interviews and scenes from the protest.
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