The far right had a busy Saturday planned, with demonstrations in London, Taunton and Doncaster among a series of anti-immigration mobilisations around the country. The results were not impressive.
The most entertaining episode took place in Doncaster, where Unite the Right UK discovered that if you go to demonstrate outside a church, it’s worth checking if your event coincides with bell-ringing practice.
The group had staged an anti-immigration demonstration in the city, while anti-racist campaigners organised a counter-protest.
Bell ringers
Among those opposing the far right was the Revd Canon Dr Richard Frith, vicar of Doncaster Minster.
As the far-right demonstration gathered outside the church, the Minster’s bell ringers began their practice session.
The bells duly rang out over the far-right speeches, causing considerable irritation among the protesters.
Things became even more extraordinary when far-right demonstrators tried to confront Frith at the church, with police forming a line between the vicar and the protesters.
Demonstrators also attempted to confront people at the Minster and accused Frith of siding with their opponents.
So, our congratulations to Canon Frith.
Self-parody
For a movement that habitually claims to be defending Britain’s Christian heritage, becoming furious because an actual Christian church is making too much noise by ringing its bells during your anti-immigration rally is a particularly elegant piece of self-parody.
And it was not the only disappointment of the far right’s supposed big day.
In London, UKIP leader Nick Tenconi had hoped to turn his “No to Sharia Law” demonstration into a significant mobilisation, originally targeting Edgware Road.
Police restrictions moved the event to central London, where a meagre attendance turnout of around 20 UKIP supporters were confronted by approximately 150 anti-racist counter-demonstrators.
At one point the entirety of Tenconi’s little gang was assembled together on a single traffic island.
The UKIP contingent eventually continued towards Whitehall behind a banner declaring “Islamist invaders not welcome in Britain”. Big words, rubbish turnout.
Chubby Golding
In Taunton, meanwhile, Britain First was holding the latest of its increasingly regular anti-immigration demonstrations. Around 50 supporters, were met by at least 200 anti-racists, despite torrential rain.
The fascists wre addressed by Britain First leader, Paul Golding, who for once seemed to have got out of bed on time. He does appear, however, to be getting rather chubby around the gills.
In some far-right circles this is being put down to an increased indulgence in Kestrel Super Premium lager, but we are not in a position to confrm that.
He arrived fresh from his latest attempt to present Britain First as grown-up political party – getting himself and a bunch of activists arrested in Westminster a couple of days earlier for unfurling a large ‘Andy Burnham is a wanker’ banner.
Oh yes, grown up politics at their very best.
This was the third recent attempt to establish a significant far-right presence in Taunton. Instead, anti-racist counter-demonstrators again substantially outnumbered them.
The previous Taunton demonstration in July had followed the same pattern.
No difference
Britain First had promoted the event heavily, with Golding advertised as its star attraction, only for him to miss it on that occasion, pleading “man flu”.
This time he made it. It did not make much difference.
And if anyone thought the weekend’s far-right activity was confined to the three headline demonstrations, Kent’s ever-expanding nationalist circus had a smaller supporting act in Maidstone.
Flash protest
The Kent Nationalist Movement, led by Harry Hilden and Dean Phillpott, staged an anti-HMO “flash protest” in the town on Saturday.
It attracted the approving attention of Kai Cunningham, leader of the neo-nazi White Vanguard, which is perhaps not the endorsement most respectable campaigners would normally put at the top of their wish list.
But Hilden and Phillpott seem increasingly carefree about the connections they are making. As we have reported previously, they are also becoming frequent attenders at Patriotic Alternative events, adding yet another entry to their increasingly crowded roll-call of associations with the organised neo-nazi fringe.
Spectator sport
Their activities have even provided amusement for White Vanguard’s own leadership, including Cunningham and his co-leader Declan Young, as well as former White Vanguard member Jay Barlow, better known online as “Glenn”.
It seems that even among Britain’s neo-nazis, the Kent Nationalist Movement’s habit of collecting affiliations is becoming something of a spectator sport.
