Seems some anti-fascist protestors managed to break into the BBC TV Centre as well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8321157.stm

Sadly, they are letting the side down. Griffin entered BBC TV Centre in a calm manner (with his hired thugs, mind you), avoiding the protestors nd joking with the reporters covering his entry.

The more I read about this, the more I feel the BBC should let him on. Not because I condone his politics, but because the BBC should not be swayed by mob rule. The BBC should be allowed to make its own decisions, and live with the consequences.

I have to agree with you.

If the BBC is not seen to be reasonably impartial we do not have any news gathering body that is. Believe me the BBC tries incredibly hard to maintain its impartiality in news.

I think a lot of the bad press against the BNP is due to them being anti globalist, but having roots in a violent, anarchic, fascist, street gang serves only for the media to fuel the anti fascist fire.

I think the BBC should let Nick Griffin have his say, it's not like he's as enigmatic as Hitler, I don't think he'll make a fool of himself, but he won't be able to answer many questions effectively.

It’s bad press to report their policies and ideology? I hope not.

They are a bunch of white supremacist thugs. Griffin has given them an air of respectability with his Cambridge education, and is attempting to appear to be more moderate. However, scraping the surface will reveal a far more unpleasant ideology.

You have to remember that the BNP has roots in the Nation Front (Griffin was in the NF before being in the BNP), as well as associations with other far right groups such as Combat 18. You can trace the BNP’s ideology through the NF, back to the British Union of Fascists. I hope you read up on Oswald Mosley (yes, Max is a relative, hence all the hubbub about his Nazi-themed sex pranks) and the Battle of Cable Street.

The BNP needs examination, scrutiny and exposure to the harsh light of the media.

Virtually every one of the anti-BNP protesters I've heard interviewed today for various news media have mentioned Hitler at some point. It's as if they haven't even heard of Godwin's Law.

Of course it's all been entirely counter-productive. All they've done is ensure that Question Time will go ahead as planned. If the BBC pulled it now, they'd be open to accusations of giving in to disorderly protest and mob rule. They pretty much have to show it now.

Jon

How DO you debate Nazis without inadvertently invoking Godwin’s Law? Has the BBC inadvertently done the biggest invocation in history?

+1.

I find it utterly perplexing how some people are going about protesting about it though. One member of the protest today, when asked by a reporter to comment on the notion that Freedom of Speech is absolute and applies to the BNP too, said "The BNP don't believe in giving other people the freedom of speech and anyone who won't give others that right don't deserve it themselves".

I was dieing for the reporter to ask the woman in question something like "Oh, so youre going to stop protesting immediately then?" and see how non-plussed she looked. They really don't seem to get the logic of the position they put themselves in at all.

Jon

Probably. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he wasn't bodily summoned at some point due to the sheer amount of Godwin energy that's being generated. Given the time difference, I expect him to pop out of space-time in front of the panel holding a sandwich with a surprised look on his face.

Jon

I completely agree with the BBC allowing him on the show.

The protesting masses fear that it will serve to legitimize him, which is bizarre to say the least. He is a legitimate political leader, it doesn't matter if we disagree with, hate, support or worship him.

As already mentioned, let him fall under the full scrutiny of the media and public spotlight and see how he performs.

I fear the show will descend into farce, though. Too many kneejerk numpties out there who are desperate to have a moment of glory and shout him down on TV. He is likely to respond by playing the pleasant, mild mannered politician, and score some points. That would be a tragedy.

The BBC don't allow women over the age of 65 on television, but they'll happily let a fat fascist on to dribble into a microphone with his bloated piggy eyes and floppy prep-school hair cut?

Hmm.

I don't think many people are happy about letting Gordon Brown on the TV, but this is a democracy.

What are you suggesting? Nick Griffin should judge Strictly Come Dancing?

I suspect some of the recent headlines about racial epithets used off camera would have read differently were that the case.

I think I'd almost be prepared to pay to watch that.

Freedom of speech is freedom of speech. If you believe in it, you can't turn round when you don't like what you hear and say "actually, I don't want this person to say anything."

But then, what about people who want the freedom of speech to incite violence, or be grossly offensive? There's a boundary somewhere when it becomes judged a crime by society.

I think he should be able to speak. I won't listen, but it would be wrong to stop him if he's not actually breaking the law.