Today (Monday 26) UAF (Unite Against Fascism), supported by the media and entertainment union BECTU, will be protesting outside the BBC against its decision to show the British National Party’s party political broadcast.

A spokesman for UAF said:
"The broadcast is scheduled to be aired tonight. UAF is protesting outside the BBC as it is paid by the public through the TV licence. There is no legal obligation on the television and radio companies to broadcast the views of any political party simply on the grounds it is fielding a certain number of candidates. In the past, broadcasters have either chosen not to show the BNP election broadcast or demand changes to them if they are likely to break the Programme Code."
 
Gerry Morrissey, BECTU General Secretary, said:
“The BNP’s policies are abhorrent to the vast majority of hard working people who support and live happily in multicultural Britain. The BNP would like to scare people to believing they have something to fear from multiculturalism and their policies of hatred and racism should not be given air time by our broadcasters.”
 
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Muslim Council of Britain, said:
"The public-funded BBC should not give air time to the fascist and anti-Muslim BNP. The BNP's manifesto calls for an end to all immigration from Muslim countries and its leader Nick Griffin describes Islam as a wicked and vicious faith. This is a grotesque attack on the freedom of religion and expression. The BBC should pay due consideration to British Muslims who do not pay the TV licence to see fascism and Islamophobia publicised."  

Weyman Bennett, Unite Against Fascism, Joint Secretary said:
“When the BNP is on TV it encourages thug on the street to engage in racist violence. The BNP is not a normal political party it is a Nazi party that wants to destroy democracy.”
 
Sabby Dhalu, Unite Against Fascism, Joint Secretary said:
“In the past broadcasters have refused to give air time to BNP party political broadcasts. The BBC has given unwarranted and uncritical coverage of the BNP during this election campaign, particularly on TV news and Radio 4, which has failed to challenge its racist scapegoating of immigrants and Islamophobia. The BBC’s justification for giving the BNP more coverage is the election of two BNP MEPs last year. This is misguided. Giving the BNP a platform and failing to expose and challenge it, gives the BNP a veneer of legitimacy. The BNP is a fascist organisation not a normal political party and the public does not pay its licence fee to see fascists broadcast their politics of hate.”

The protest will take place tonight at 6pm outside the BBC at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London.

For more information view:
www.uaf.org.uk