View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
June 3, 2004updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

NUJ mounts protests against BNP

By Press Gazette

The NUJ was out in protest against the BNP last Friday, the day of its first political broadcast in the run-up to European elections on 10 June.

The protests were part of the union’s policy of challenging the farright party, following intimidation of its members. They took place outside BBC premises in London, Manchester and Cardiff in conjunction with campaign group Unite Against Fascism.

They also demonstrated outside the offices of Five, which showed the longer BNP political broadcast – censored before going on air because a previous version breached Programming Code rules relating to racial hatred.

NUJ vice president Tim Lezard, who spoke at the London gathering, said it was the union’s policy to challenge the BNP since the party began intimidating its members in February.

The BNP sent threats, e-mails and phone calls, including a letter to the home of general secretary Jeremy Dear, after holding a demonstration outside the NUJ’s London HQ against “politically correct” journalists with “an anti-white bias”.

“BNP says it believes in free speech, but its belief only extends as far free speech in support of what they do,” Lezard told Press Gazette.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

“We have a challenging policy against the BNP. And that’s why we oppose the broadcast. Their victims didn’t have a chance to answer back.”

By Wale Azeez

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network