Violence at party’s manifesto launch

Friday 16th April 2010, 8:12AM BST.

The British National Party’s General Election campaign got off to a violent start as an anti-fascist protester was arrested for trying to attack its candidates.

Police officers wrestled the 24-year-old demonstrator to the ground after he broke through a cordon and sought to land a punch on a BNP member at the event in Croydon, south London.

But questions were raised as to why the BNP was allowed to present some of its election candidates outside the headquarters of the UK Border Agency – as the party sought to put immigration on the campaign agenda.

Andrew Pelling, the former independent MP for Croydon Central who is standing for re-election, said he had written to Home Secretary Alan Johnson to complain that the BNP had been allowed to gather there.

And Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said it was a “scandal” that the party had been given permission.

In contrast to the highly organised manifesto launches of other parties in recent days, the BNP gathering got off to an unusual start as candidates and journalists amassed outside East Croydon railway station, awaiting further details on where the meeting would take place.

View more: Election 2010 news.