Joseph McHale and Lizzie Caunt, Barnsley Socialist Party and Socialist Students
Students in Barnsley were informed on Monday evening that Nigel Farage was planning on arriving in his aptly named ‘battle bus’ the next day. We made plans for a counter-protest.
As the ex-investment banker arrived in working-class Barnsley, it appeared to dawn on him that he was not as welcome as he might have assumed.
Moving towards the planned area of his appearance, far-right activists there to support Farage began to spit at us, swearing, shouting, throwing coins and making reactionary remarks. And Farage later described our protest as a ‘violent left-wing mob’! The contrast with our peaceful protest only helped to reinforce our message that hate is not welcome in Barnsley.
Showing up 40 minutes late for his own rally, Farage stood atop his bus attempting to preach hate and division. Our chants and collective voice drowned him out. He gave up speaking and turned to his small group of supporters on the other side of the bus, away from the real opinions of Barnsley. Defeated, he drove off onto the horizon.
After the demo, disgracefully, police detained a protester for carrying a trans pride flag using choice words to tell Farage what we think of him. Eventually the protester was returned safely to the group without arrest. But what about Farage’s abusive thugs?
Farage will have been hoping his visit to Barnsley would show his Reform UK party has support from working-class people. In fact it showed the opposite, our town is not a welcome home for Thatcher’s loverboy!
