Local Councillors and Residents oppose Far-Right Demonstration in Maidstone

A small but noisy demonstration by hard right organisations and individuals, including UKIP's controversial leader and a handful of Reform County Councillors, met in Sessions House Square in Maidstone’s Penenden Heath Ward last Saturday 16th August.

Local Penenden Heath Ward councillors Richard Conyard and Tony Harwood joined a larger counter-protest, involving local residents, the Leader of Maidstone Council, Stuart Jeffery, and several of his Green councillor colleagues. 

Richard and Tony spoke to many local residents who had to walk past the chanting hard right protestors as they gathered in Sessions House Square and then marched through the town centre via Week Street and the High Street, before returning to the Brenchley Garden area.  

Many within the town were visibly angered and upset by noisy chants supporting hard right organisations and figures, and their display of a flag bearing the symbol of the British National Socialist Movement (BNSM).

Cllr. Tony Harwood stated that: 

"We will never descend into the gutter of sectarian division and falsely blaming minorities for the ills in our society."

Cllr. Richard Conyard added: 

"Scapegoating voiceless and powerless minorities like asylum seekers and refugees is not the way to solve what are complicated issues that need to be approached instead with compassion and cooler heads."