Britain First deputy leader charged over Belfast speech

 

Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First, was arrested in London on Saturday 18 November for comments she made while speaking at a rally in Belfast, Belfast Live reports.

 

31 year-old Fransen has been arrested and charged by the Police Service of Northern Ireland with using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.” This charge has been made against Fransen on the basis of comments she made during the “Northern Ireland Against Terrorism” rally.

 

The rally took place on 6 August and was attended by approximately 50 people. During the rally, Fransen told Britain First supporters that “The world is at war with Islam. Every single Muslim is obliged to kill you and your husbands and your wives and your children.” She also argued that “if your faith teaches you that you should murder people if they don’t conform to your beliefs and your ideology, then your faith needs to be opposed.”

 

Fransen will appear at the Belfast Magistrates’ Court on 14 December.

 

Earlier this year, Fransen and Britain First leader Paul Golding were charged with religiously aggravated harassment over the distribution of leaflets in Thanet and Canterbury.

 

Britain First campaigns against multiculturalism, immigration, and what they perceive to be the ‘Islamisation’ of Britain. Members of Britain First have engaged in ‘Christian patrols’ and protests against mosques.

 

In November 2017, Britain First was statutorily deregistered as a party by the Electoral Commission.