Keep the Racist BNP Off TV!

national | migration | press release

Saturday October 03, 2009 15:28

by PLF - Youth Against Racism

youthagainstracism at hotmail dot com

07876146473

Protest at BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast!

Youth Against Racism has organised a protest against the BBC's invitation to the far-right, racist BNP to participate in Question Time. The protest will take place at 5.30pm on Thursday 15th October outside BBC Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast.

The BBC have offered the BNP a platform on Question Time. The far-right BNP won 2 seats in the recent European elections. This party is attempting to develop a respectable image, but their core is out-right fascism. Their founder called Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' his 'Bible' and Nick Griffin, the current leader, regularly denied the Holocaust.

Paddy Meehan of Youth Against Racism said:-
'It is disgraceful that the BBC is offering the racist BNP a platform from which to put forward their lies. This party's aim is purely and simply to stoke up racial tensions which they seek to exploit, by scapegoating immigrants and ethnic minorities for the lack of jobs and social housing

'Where they are given a platform, it gives confidence to racists and fascists to carry out attacks. We must fight to stop them being allowed to speak on Question Time. That is why Youth Against Racism has organised this protest, in solidarity with those campaigning on the same issue in England'.

'We call on all young people, trade unionists and community activists to mobilise for this demonstration, and send the message loud and clear that we don't want the BNP on our airwaves.'

The protest is to take place outside BBC Broadcasting House on Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, at 5.30pm on Thursday 15th October, a week before the BNP are due to appear.

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Comments (4 of 4)

Well done!

by DanielW - Socialist Party

Sat Oct 03, 2009 15:29

Excellent inititative! No platform for the BNP!

Oddly enough the BBC /UK Gov doesn't want the SNP to go the PM debate

by no platform

Sun Oct 04, 2009 18:08

2 Labour cabinet members, Peter Hain and Alan Johnson refused to go on air with the BNP but Jack Straw it seems is ready to "take them on" with the unruffled Dimblebys in between.

The protest announced above is only one of a cross platform of responses planned. The UK TV technicians' union reacted angrily to the news and their spokesperson said : "We believe there should be no media coverage of the BNP and I have raised this issue with the director general, Mark Thompson."..adding.... "He said they have been invited on to the programme because they have won elections, but we strongly disagree"........"We will be arranging a demonstration and lobby outside the Question Time studios and we will be working with anti-fascist groups to ensure there is a significant turn out." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5...K3tjg

The democratically elected in an open and fair EU daring do argument really seems wane and winsome when one considers the news this weekend that the SNP Are considering legal action to ensure that its leader, Alex Salmond, be included in plans for televised "US style leader debate" hustings. That news follows the announcement yesterday that New Labour are prepared to go head to head and "take on" the Conservaties and Liberal Democrats with the unruffled Dimblebys in between, yet not mention the SNP despite the fact that according to Salmond "The SNP is leading in the opinion polls for the Westminster elections, we are the government of Scotland, so I think the people of Scotland are entitled to hear within the context of a leaders' debate about the UK general election the contribution of Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Alex Salmond". The SNP are threatening to block the broadcast of the debate in Scotland should they not be included. which rather raises the question of what the intend to put on telly instead and will there be as many householders on the border with wicked England attempting to tune into English broadcasted BBC as there are in the western isles attempting to pick up the extraordinarily strong signal from BBC Northern Ireland. oh yes. for escaping the BBC can be a veritibly daunting task.........

Now of course the curlish would point out that the election debate is about Westminster not Hollyrood just as some would point out the BNP don't run in northern Ireland........"yet".

But to leave this comment - In a display of utter hypocrisy and irony, a former Scottish minister David Cairn has commented :.
"The SNP's sinister threat to go to court to ban Scottish viewers watching these debates is a bully-boy tactic unbecoming of a democratic party."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/04/snp-tv-d...lmond
Oh yes.

= the SNP are bully-boys whereas the BNP were fairly elected.