LONDON — Police have said they had arrested 19 people after violence briefly marred a demonstration against a festival being held by the far-right British National Party (BNP).
A small number of protesters threw missiles, including plastic bottles and bags of flour, at officers as they tried to force their way through a police cordon near the village of Codnor in Derbyshire, central England.
Most of the demonstrators acted peacefully, police said in a statement, but "unfortunately, some people have ignored police advice and failed to abide by the agreements reached during the planning of the protest."
"These people blocked or tried to block roads near the site of the Red, White and Blue festival. Officers had to take action to open the roads and deal with the protesters," it said, confirming the 19 arrests.
The two-day festival was billed as a family event with a camp site, stalls and entertainment on offer over the weekend.
The BNP, which wants to end mass immigration and withdraw from the European Union, won its first seats in the European Parliament in June elections.
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
