Britain First leader Paul Golding arrested over Belfast speeches
Written by News on 14/12/2017
The leader of the far-right group Britain First, Paul Golding, has been arrested by police investigating speeches made at a rally in August.
Mr Golding was arrested in Belfast as he was accompanying the group’s deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, who appeared in court accused of behaviour intended or likely to stir up hatred.
The 31-year-old Fransen was also arrested as she left court.
A statement from the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: "Detectives investigating speeches made at the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism Rally on Sunday 6th August this year have arrested a 35-year-old man today, Thursday, 14 December in the Belfast area.
"He has been taken to Musgrave PSNI Station for interview."
:: The far-right: Who is Britain First?
Britain First has recently been in the news because Donald Trump shared anti-Muslim videos posted online by Ms Fransen – a move that provoked an outcry.
Two of the videos retweeted by the US President featured violent scenes, including someone being pushed off a roof and another person being assaulted.
The group has since claimed it received hundreds of new membership applications and said its Facebook posts were reaching hundreds of thousands more users.
Ms Fransen was charged at Belfast Magistrates’ Court with using words which were threatening, abusive or insulting during a speech at the August rally.
The court ruled that, as a condition of her release on bail, she should not go within 500 metres of any demonstration or parade in Northern Ireland.
Police had also sought curbs on her social media use.
District Judge Fiona Bagnall expressed doubts about whether her jurisdiction extended to Ms Fransen’s social media use.
Her lawyer, Richard McConkey, said the curbs on her freedom of speech would be disproportionate for a politician.
(c) Sky News 2017: Britain First leader Paul Golding arrested over Belfast speeches
