Protests around the UK accuse BBC of accepting 'Nazi principles'

Published on Thursday 22 October 2009 22:15

AT BBC Scotland's headquarters in Pacific Quay in Glasgow, around 100 protestors gathered from late afternoon displaying "Glaswegians Against Fascism" banners.

Student David Smith, 22, from Glasgow, described the broadcaster's decision to allow BNP leader Nick Griffin to appear as "appalling".

He said: "I resent having to pay my licence fee to fund airtime for such a fascist party.

"It's absolutely appalling that this is being allowed to go ahead."

Cat Harvey, a shop assistant, also from Glasgow, said the BBC were accepting the BNP's "Nazi principles".

The 24 year-old added: "I think the BNP being allowed on the BBC is disgraceful. I'm extremely upset about this. I can't believe how people can support the BNP.

"It is abhorrent and we shouldn't give these people the time of day let alone air-time to campaign their Nazi principles."

In Edinburgh around 30 protesters with placards demonstrated outside the BBC's building on Holyrood Road.

There were also protests outside BBC buildings in Bristol, Liverpool, Nottingham and Belfast.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the BBC had confiscated mobile phones from all the guests and panellists on last night's Question Time.

A source close to one of the panellists revealed that they had been told their phone would be taken off them, in case they communicated with the outside world before the programme was edited and broadcast.

Before the scheduled screening at 10:35pm last night, the BBC also revealed that it would cut any racist remarks made during the discussion from its transmission.