27th.November 1992

1992 General Election & Local Elections
Extremist Examples of Democracy in Rochdale

Part 5 ...................................................................................

4th April 1992 : The last weekend before the General Election

Due to the refusal of Chief Executive, John Pierce to make a suitable venue available to Mr. Henderson, and a High Court judges refusal to make a judgement on a point of law, explicit under the Representation of the People Act : the ONLY venue for Mr. Henderson to have a meeting was on the streets !

However, the Labour Party and other far-left criminal groups again mobilised to physically "Smash the BNP" . On the day, approximately 150 of these thugs went rampaging around the streets of Rochdale.

Much has been reported about the violent activities of the left-wing thugs on that day via the B.B.C. news, both TV and radio, and also local media. Suffice to say that around 40 - 50 of our members that had been prevented from meeting at the Mayfield  public house on Albert Royds street, Rochdale, due to the presence of 150 of these thugs outside that pub. The pub landlord had to lock his doors due to their hooligan behaviour. The BNP members had to retreat to another pub over half a mile away , the Lord Nelson pub, Milnrow road, Rochdale. This left wing mob of 150 thugs, who had followed the BNP members tried to gain access into the Lord nelson pub using iron bars, but were fought out of the front doors with pool cues. The left wing mob then resorted to smashing all the windows in the pub and then proceeded to attack the Police who had arrived alerted by the landlord. The Police made 12 arrests.

So the effect of this riotous left wing mob, resulted in no Public meeting being allowed in the  town for a duly nominated General Election candidate - Mr. Ken Henderson. 

A rally with 45 people was held that day, on Royle road, Castleton, Rochdale, near Tesco's. 

(The then leader of the Rochdale Labour Council , Richard 'fatty' Farnell, was present with the left wing riotous mob when the armed left wing mob attacked the Lord Nelson on Milnrow road.)

One of our members older members, Mr. Alan Payne 62, was viciously attacked by iron bar wielding thugs outside the Mayfield pub,  and if it wasn't for the vigorous action of a number of Police officers. Mr. Payne would have received much more severe injuries than cuts and bruises, but he had to receive medical attention at Rochdale Infirmary.

The magazine of 'Anti-Fascist Action' - 'Red Action' issue No. 63 July/August 1992 callously reported that ;

"...........they, the fascists were ambushed by anti-fascists.........Manchester Organiser Allan Payne is still complaining about his headaches"  - an obvious reference to the iron bar attack on Mr. Payne, an elderly man .

An interesting follow- up report came in the Rochdale Observer  dated Wednesday, 4th November 1992. When NINE of these armed left wing thugs who were charged with 'assault on police, obstruction, and threatening behaviour'. 

Were dismissed by Rochdale magistrates !

Several of our members had been beaten up on the day, the Lord Nelson pub had been wrecked. Several Police officers had been assaulted. The landlord of the Lord Nelson became ill due to the violent assault by these left wing thugs, and we are led to believe they have now left the trade.

We would like to know just who these magistrates were ? Because of this there is no doubt. We feel sure that friends of the then Labour Parliamentary candidate David Williams, Richard Farnell (ex- Militant tendency' ) and Labour Cllr. Abdul Chowdry who was also then a magistrate on the Rochdale 'bench', were all active supporters and members of the Trotskyist 'Anti- Nazi League'/ANAL. 

Rochdale Police must have been 'tearing their hair out' at the decisions by Rochdale magistrates.

Part 6 of this report and final  section, will appear as soon as we are able.