Earlier this week, BNP Youth released a campaign video entitled Fight Back (above). It is in equal part worrying and comical. Beginning with music that evokes a Death Star fascist aesthetic, it is presented by a handful of (white) teenagers, all of whom look awkward, pimply, nerdy and gauche – the sort of kids who would be stalwart members of the Dungeons and Dragons society if they hadn't been quite so politically aware. And the message they promote, which targets "militant homosexuals", "cultural marxists", bankers, "heartless Zionists", the media, UK immigration policy and (bizarrely) Doreen Lawrence, comes across as little more than unreconstructed fascism.That's a pretty accurate description:
The BNP leader defended the video:
BNP leader Nick Griffin has defended a video by his party's youth wing which refers to "heartless Zionists" and "militant homosexuals".
The MEP said he stood by the film, which also accused the media of "pandering to the likes of Baroness Lawrence", whose son Stephen was stabbed to death in an unprovoked racist attack in 1993.
Mr Griffin insisted the video had been entirely the idea of the children, but admitted when pressed one of those taking part was his own daughter.
Despite the views expressed in the video, Mr Griffin claimed he was not anti-Semitic or anti-gay.