Hundreds of people voiced their anger at the election of two British National Party members to the European Parliament last night.
Simultaneous protests took place in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Preston and York in the wake of the far-right party’s propulsion up the political ladder.
BNP leader Nick Griffin picked up the seat in the North West of England region and Andrew Brons won a seat in the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Speakers at the Manchester rally mocked Mr Griffin and the fact he required a police escort to enter the election count in the town hall on Sunday night.
The crowd of around 400 people chanted “Nick Griffin – no way” and “black and white – here to stay” at the event in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens last night.
Student Adil Ahmed, 17, said it was “laughable” that the BNP had won two MEP seats.
His friend, Daniel Comerford, 18, branded the party “deluded” and wondered whether his Irish roots would see him repatriated if the party won a general election.
Student Natasha Lasham, 20, said: “I study religion so I’ve done Holocaust studies and it just brings it home that something that terrible could happen again in our own country and in our time.”
Nicole Crawford, 21, said: “People being here tonight shows the BNP aren’t welcome in the north-west.”
Asylum-seeker Rubina Iqbel, 45, of Ancoats, said she was “not very happy” at the BNP win. “The UK is a tolerant place,” she said. “Life is safe here. All people are equal.”
Amma Iqbal, 25, of Rochdale, said: “I’m really surprised as people are really nice here. Them choosing the racist party is quite surprising.”
Paul Jenkins, of Unite Against Fascism, said he did not believe a “Nazi party has any mandate”.
Referring to the angry scenes that accompanied Mr Griffin’s arrival at Manchester Town Hall on Sunday, he said: “People made the point that the BNP is a Nazi party and that we outnumbered them.”
The Bishop of Blackburn, the Right Rev Nicholas Reade, said he believed people would come to regret electing the BNP leader to the European Parliament.
He said: “This is a bitter and bizarre day for our region. All people of good faith will be appalled at the election of an extremist candidate to supposedly represent the north-west of England in Europe.”
A union leader launched a bitter attack on the BNP yesterday, describing the party as “scum”.
Communication Workers’ Union general secretary Billy Hayes said Mr Griffin was the “Hannibal Lecter” of British politics. He told the union’s conference in Bournemouth that the BNP leader was well-educated and charming, but added: “The sooner scum like that are out of British politics, the better.”