French Rightist Stirs Up a Storm Visiting Britain

[G_j]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/26/international/europe/26BRIT.html?pagewanted=print&position=

April 26, 2004

French Rightist Stirs Up a Storm Visiting Britain
By ALAN COWELL

LONDON, April 25 — Hostile demonstrators swirled around a car carrying Jean-Marie Le Pen, the French far-right leader, during a visit to northern England on Sunday, throwing eggs and garbage to protest his support for the white supremacist British National Party.

Mr. Le Pen's visit to British far rightists seeking to move in from the political fringe offered an unusual public display of transnational support among European rightists. His weekend journey to Manchester in northwestern England had been preceded by warnings from the British government that the police would take action if his presence threatened public order.

Mr. Le Pen's hosts tried to restrict information about the location of a news conference near Manchester, but protesters learned of it and several hundred gathered outside shouting, "Nazi scum off our streets." As he left, the antiracism demonstrators surged toward his car and pounded on it.

"I've walked about freely in Iraq and Turkey, in Malaysia and Indonesia," Mr. Le Pen said at the news conference. "I don't see why I shouldn't be able to walk about freely in England."

In the presence of Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party, he pledged support for the British group in European Parliament elections in June.

The British National Party has frequently been embroiled in racial clashes, particularly with people of Asian descent in northwestern England. In France, Mr. Le Pen has been convicted of stirring racial hatred and anti-Semitism. In 2002, Mr. Le Pen came in second in French national elections, an unexpected inroad into the political mainstream.

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[NMDemDist2]

1. i love the Brits

have you ever watched "Prime Minister's Questions" on C-SPan?

WE need more booing in Congress I think. Sometimes there is too much of a good thing in "civil" debate

[G_j]

5. I love the way

Rumsfeld was questioned in the UK. He is so used to getting a free ride.

[G_j]

2. From farce to violence, Le Pen shares a platform with BNP leader

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4910094-110687,00.html

From farce to violence as far-right Le Pen shares a platform with BNP leader

Emma Brockes
Monday April 26, 2004
The Guardian

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Front party, appeared in Britain yesterday under a cloak of such comic-book secrecy that even his supporters were embarrassed by it. Their modesty wore off, however, as they clashed with demonstrators in a surreal stand-off on the outskirts of Manchester.

Mr Le Pen flew into north-west England to share a platform with Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP, with whom he shares hopes of nationalist success in the forthcoming European elections.

They were to illustrate their solidarity in a joint press conference, but half an hour before the event, details of the venue were still a secret and journalists were told by David Jones, BNP press officer, to convene at a mysterious interim location: the car park of the stationery shop Office World near Didsbury.

To the amazement of staff and Sunday shoppers, a media scrum gathered outside the shop while Mr Jones mopped his brow and apologised for the security measures, which he explained had been imposed from "higher up".

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[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. an unusual public display of transnational support among

racist right-wing whackos.

[G_j]

4. Europe's far right, Guardian special report

http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/0,11981,711266,00.html

[Stone_Spirits]

6. geez

more RWingnutz. Where do they find these people?
:shrug: