Over at the “March for Free Expression” website they’ve taken issue with this post on Islamophobia Watch, where we referred to the support given to their demonstration by the “Civil Liberty” campaign, which is a far-right front headed by a BNP organiser.

March for Free Expression blog, 17 March 2006

In fact, contrary to the assertion by “Voltaire”, our point was not that the MFE supports the far right, but rather that the far right supports the MFE.

And while we’re on the subject of the far right, one of the organisations listed as a supporter of the “March for Free Expression”, and who have a platform speaker at Saturday’s protest, is the “Libertarian Alliance”. This is an organisation that welcomed the acquittal of BNP führer Nick Griffin and his fascist sidekick at Leeds Crown Court and expressed concern that the acquittal was only “partial” (because the CPS intends to have the case re-tried).

Sean Gabb, director of the Libertarian Alliance, who will be speaking at Saturday’s rally, commented: “Doubtless, there are people who take offence at the expression of certain views on race and immigration. But free speech that does not include the right to give offence is not free speech. It is the political equivalent of decaffeinated coffee. If people are upset by what they read or hear, let them ignore it or argue against it. There is no place in these debates for the Thought Police.”

Libertarian Alliance press release, 3 February 2006

As can be seen, the Libertarian Alliance stands for the repeal of all legislation against racial hatred and discrimination, and proposes that “the Commission for Racial Equality and all similar organisations should be abolished, and their records burned”.

We also note that “various branches of UKIP” are listed among the sponsors of the MFE. UKIP’s manifesto declares that Britain is “bursting at the seams” due to an influx of foreigners, and one of its leaders, Nigel Farage, is reported to have stated: “We will never win the nigger vote. The nig-nogs will never vote for us.” See What Next? No.29.

Still, not to worry, we have Nick Cohen’s assurance that the protest will be “filled with democratic leftists, Liberal Democrats, secularists and Iranian and Saudi Arabian dissidents”.