Britain First Telford March Sees Paul Golding, Jayda Fransen And Not Many Others Show Up

'Muslims should go back to the desert where they belong.'
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Despite having a Facebook following of 1.6 million it appears outside in the real world away from paid promotion and exploiting the memory of Lee Rigby, Britain First is still far, far from even a minor force in UK politics.

Despite months of promotion the far-right group’s much-hyped Telford march had to be postponed by an hour until more “patriots” arrived.

The march is being delayed until 2pm. It's looking like they're waiting for people. #britainfirst #Telford pic.twitter.com/08Ojtcxzet

— Mat Growcott (@MGrowcott_Star) February 25, 2017

In the end it drew a grand total of approximately 87, according to campaign group Hope not Hate.

It wasn’t for lack of trying - they marked the rallying point with flags...

There were many, many flags...

Britain First getting ready to march. Everyone gets to hold 2-3 flags if they can to make it look bigger than it is. #Telford pic.twitter.com/Wh4YmXnH84

— HOPE not hate (@hopenothate) February 25, 2017

And music...

They have their own security patrolling up and down. Patriotic music still playing, flags still waving. #BritainFirst pic.twitter.com/HIVELslLFm

— Mat Growcott (@MGrowcott_Star) February 25, 2017

And of course they had the big guns, leader Paul Golding and his deputy Jayda Fransen, there...

Flags up as Rule Britannia plays from the van speakers. Someone tried chanting "Britain First" but it didn't take. #britainfirst #Telford pic.twitter.com/XWCM1LKHnh

— Mat Growcott (@MGrowcott_Star) February 25, 2017

They even had a convincing Donald Trump lookalike...

Yet despite all this only a small crowd gathered to “protest grooming gangs” and, according to the Shropshire Star, listen to deputy leader Fransen say Muslims should “go back to the desert where they belong and take their backwards ideology with them”.

Bad news for Britain First: Jew hating priest Jacek Miedlar has been held and prevented from entering the country. #Telford #Biffer

— HOPE not hate (@hopenothate) February 25, 2017

Jacek Miedlar, 28, has been described as a “fanatical hate preacher” by anti-racism campaigners in Poland and has been suspended by his local Catholic church.

On Twitter, Fransen described Miedlar as a “Polish patriot”.

Polish patriot @jacekmiedlar will be joining our protest in Telford on 25th February!
Come and stand with us against Muslim grooming gangs! pic.twitter.com/ignKWCvUyc

— Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) February 19, 2017

The march attracted a heavy police presence as well as a counter-march by anti-fascists, one of whom threw a brick at the marchers.

No one was seriously injured and a man was arrested, a witness told The Huffington Post UK.

#BritainFirst now outside Darby House in #Telford pic.twitter.com/z2xg5oc6Ov

— John Kennett (@kennettphoto) February 25, 2017

The Telford march follows is the latest in a long succession of poorly-attended events organised by the group.

Last year’s “big London rally” held right in the heartland of their main base of support (1% of the Mayoral election vote), drew a crowd of 21.

This has not dampened their rhetoric though - Paul Golding issued an extraordinary threat of a “day of reckoning” for his enemies, in his first public appearance since coming out of jail last month.

In the video, Golding says his time in Pentonville Prison made him “more bitter” and he threatens “journalists and politicians” who have committed “crimes against our nation”.

Hope Not Hate, which fights the Far Right in Britain, warned the video was a “chilling threat” from a group that was already “volatile”.

Close

What's Hot