Up to 20 members of Our England Today waved placards and St George’s Cross flags at KFC in Deepdale Shopping Park, Preston, on Friday. The restaurant is one of around 80 outlets across the country taking part in a trial following requests to provide halal food in parts of the UK.
Officers from Lancashire Police attended and several of the group’s members were kicked off by retail park security staff for drinking cans of lager. They handed out leaflets, put them on car windscreens and tried to dissuade customers going into KFC.
The group, mainly young men, some with children, said the protest was not an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration. However it was advertised on an EDL social networking website page and a statement on their website said: “We would like to encourage ‘flash demos’ at these restaurants”.
A Unite Against Fascism spokesman said: “This was a very small turnout, quite a pathetic demonstration, attempting to fuel hate and racism.”
Lancashire Evening Post, 24 April 2010
As for Our England Today, they claim to be “the latest group of activists, that will be activley fighting to take back our country” and “welcome BNP members and friends, we are all in the same fight, God Save Our Country”.