Business owners and residents living near the site of a BNP festival fear the event will cause major disruption.
The controversial Red, White and Blue festival will take place on fields off Condor-Denby Lane, Denby, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Police have invoked special public order laws in an effort to keep the number of anti-BNP protesters who plan to come to the area on Saturday down to 700. But an anti-BNP activists' march and rally will mean Codnor's only car park, its Market Place, and a main road will close. And people living by the site in Denby fear noise and violence and are angry at footpath closures.
The protesters' march, which will travel along the A6007 Heanor Road to its junction with Codnor-Denby Lane, means some shops will close. Richard Walker, owner of Tantastic salon, said: "I will probably close. I wish there was no festival and no protesters because we are going to lose money."
Aileen Tilley, whose costume shop Fancy That is opposite Codnor car park, in High Street, said she would close. She said: "We will lose money. The police told me they couldn't tell me directly to close but I'm going to."
Residents in Denby said they hoped Red, White and Blue would not return next year. John Lumsden, who lives opposite the festival site in Codnor-Denby Lane, said he would feel like "a prisoner in his home" over the weekend. Mr Lumsden, 65, said: "They've closed five footpaths in the area which I use to walk my mongrel dog, Dez, and to get about. Why should something we haven't asked for affect us in this way?"
Joe Osborne, 69, of Breach Road, said: "We feel like all this has been forced upon us."
Once police estimate that 700 activists have turned up on Saturday, new arrivals will be asked to disperse and could be arrested if they refuse. They will meet at 9am in Codnor Market Place and will be allowed to march from 11.45am. The A6007 Heanor Road will be closed. A protest point will be set up outside the festival for up to 30 protesters from 1pm to 4pm.
After the march is over, the remaining protesters will return to the Market Place for a rally. Coaches carrying protesters will be told by police to park in High Holborn Road. A police spokesman said: "The procession will be marshalled and accompanied by police officers. We are trying to minimise the effect of the festival on local residents."
More than 1,000 anti-BNP activists had been expected to turn up on Saturday. But police can limit the number using the Public Order Act.
Derbyshire Evening Telegraph
August 14, 2008
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If you read the comments on this article from local village burgeoisie, you'll see that they actually welcome the BNP for bringing 'trade' into the area and they 'contribute to the local economy'
For example: "I'm sure if the fancy dress shop asked, they could get some business from the children attending the RWB. Why don't they ask the event organisers if they can sell on the site, surely this will make up for any inconvenience caused by the protesters"
Comrades, why should we worry about 'inconveniencing' such obvious collaborators? These village idiots need to be forcefully re-educated.
Remember that Hitler got into power by a two-pronged approach - promise the thugs lots of aggro, and promise the lower middle-class stability, order and 'trade'.
¡No Pasarán! - Smash the Fash
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