A nationalist political party leader visited Skegness last week to add his voice to the mounting opposition against a halal abattoir in the town.
British National Party chairman Nick Griffin MEP spoke with fellow opponents during a small demonstration outside the Heath Road slaughterhouse last Tuesday morning. Speaking after his visit Mr Griffin said:
“Halal ritual slaughter is an extremely cruel practice, which any native British person would rightly be taken to court for carrying out. We don’t believe any exception should be made for reasons to do with political correctness or otherwise. As a civilised people it is our responsibility to treat animals with decency. The way we treat animals reflects on us and our society.”
Mr Griffin’s visit followed his attendance of the Lincolnshire Coastal Branch of the party’s “early autumn VIP meeting” in Alford the previous evening. Meeting organiser Robert Ashton explained that the party had been receiving “record numbers” of enquiries following the announcement that a halal slaughter company was looking to move into the abattoir premises.
The BNP’s demonstration followed a protest held in Tower Gardens by fellow right-wing anti-immigration party the National Front on Saturday, September 15. That visit provoked a concerned response from local figures, who feared it was spreading a message of “racism and intolerance”. A Facebook group called “Stop the National Front coming back to Skegness” was also set up in opposition.