UAF has welcomed news that Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist British National Party, has been barred from the Queen’s garden party this afternoon.

Antifascists opposed the invitation for Griffin – a Holocaust denier with a criminal conviction for inciting racial hatred – to attend the event, as an insult to every ethnic minority citizen of this country, and to every antiracist.

Protesters were due to show their opposition this afternoon – but Nazi Griffin has now been barred from the event.

UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett said:

This is excellent news and we welcome the fact that Buckingham Palace has barred this Nazi. Nick Griffin is not a politician like any other and should not be treated as such. He is leader of the BNP, a fascist party whose fundamental aim is to get rid of the black and Asian population of Britain.

We felt that the Queen should not be entertaining Griffin. By extending official courtesies to the BNP leader, there was a danger of helping to make the BNP’s vicious racism appear “respectable”. The palace is quite right to shut him out.