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Protesters march as BNP meet in Blackpool
MORE than 100 protesters took to the streets to campaign against the BNP.
They marched through the town centre before gathering outside the Kimberley Hotel on South Promenade, where the controversial right wing party held its annual conference for the third year running.
Around 20 police offices were deployed to ensure there were no clashes between the two groups and the event passed off without any trouble.
Jain Gawne, of the newly formed Blackpool and Fleetwood Unite Against Fascism (UAF), said: "We've had lots of support and when we were in the town centre, a lot of people were saying they agreed with us."
Stephen Mullen, also from the Blackpool and Fleetwood UAF, added: "As long as the BNP keep coming here for their conference, we will keep fighting them until they're run out of town."
Wyre councillor Clive Grunshaw, who was also supporting the protesters, said: "We're concerned about the BNP exploiting the recession and people's financial problems, and blaming it on the ethnic minority people who have come into the country.
"We have to show we're guarded against the BNP and that we have an alternative."
A spokesman for the BNP said the conference had gone well.
He said: "The way we see it, they have every right to demonstrate.
However, it's quite disgraceful they can pass themselves off as members of the public when they are directly linked with our opposition, the Labour Party.
"We had a very good conference and have much enjoyed ourselves."
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Weather for Blackpool
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 27 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South west
