Thaindian News

By Dipankar De Sarkar
London, Oct 22 (IANS) Security at the television studios of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was ramped up Thursday as anti-fascist campaigners protested a current affairs show featuring the leader of a political party that wants to oust non-White immigrants from Britain.

Campaigners, who include anti-fascist groups, trade unions, a cabinet minister and Jewish holocaust survivors, accuse the BBC of pandering to racism by inviting British National Party (BNP) leader Nick Griffin on the panel of a popular current affairs show, Question Time.

Griffin, whose party wants non-White immigrants to be repatriated, was pelted with eggs and chased down the street by anti-fascist protesters outside the British parliament in June.

At one stage the BNP considered transporting Griffin by helicopter but scrapped the plans after discovering there was no helipad near the BBC’s television studios in west London, BNP spokesman Simon Darby said on his internet blog.

The BBC invitation has caused a furore across Britain with Minister for Wales Peter Hains, a veteran of the South African anti-apartheid struggle, saying the corporation risked being taken to court.

But the head of the public broadcaster, which is funded by a licence fee from taxpayers’ money, defended his decision Thursday.

“It is a straightforward matter of fact that… the BNP has demonstrated a level of support which would normally lead to an occasional invitation to join the panel on “Question Time”. It is for that reason alone… that the invitation has been extended,” BBC Director General Mark Thompson said.

The BNP won two seats to the European Parliament in June after securing some 900,000 votes.

A BNP spokesman said there would be no counter-demonstration by its supporters. However, marches by far-right groups have sparked violent clashes with anti-fascist groups in major cities across Britain in recent months.

Scotland Yard said it was working with the BBC on arrangements for the safe arrival and entry of Griffin and the other four panellists on the show - Justice Minister Jack Straw, the opposition Conservative party’s shadow minister for community cohesion Sayeeda Warsi, US playwright Bonnie Greer, and opposition Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhme.