Around 25 KU students joined campaigners protesting against Nick Griffin’s controversial appearance on BBC’s Question Time.

The students were among the first to arrive at the demonstration outside the BBC building in White City on October 23. Numbers climbed over the course of the day to above 2000. The crowd became more volatile when Nick Griffin arrived, surging towards the gates and hurling abuse at the BNP leader.

Alistair Farrow, a first year Politics and International Relations student and Socialist Workers’ Party member, said: “The main reason for Nick Griffin not appearing on Question Time is because of a court injunction on the BNP, because it is a white-only members party. They are of course a Fascist, Nazi organisation and they can use this programme to build their influence.”

 “The day after the programme was shown on TV, the BNP claimed over 3000 people had joined the party. We do not want to see what happened in France back in 1984 with John Marie la Pen happen here”, continued Farrow.

One KU student tried to scale side gates and some demonstrators almost reached the main entrance but were thwarted by police who used pepper spray, batons and riot shields in a struggle to hold back the angry crowd.   

The group of students, who set off from Penrhyn Road had a brush with the law earlier in the day when they were confronted by police and asked to put down placards saying 'Smash The BNP' or risk arrest.

The police are reported to have said: “If any BNP members walk past, you are going to be offending them with those placards."

Around 25 protesters infiltrated the BBC building leading to six arrests and one policeman was injured.