FRANCE: Demonstrators protesting against a visit to Britain by French anti-immigration campaigner Mr Jean-Marie Le Pen chanted "fascists out" and pelted his car with eggs and rubbish yesterday.
Scuffles broke out in Manchester, northern England, as police and bodyguards escorted the National Front leader's car past protesters as he left a press conference by the far-right British National Party.
Mr Le Pen was in Britain at the invitation of BNP leader, Mr Nick Griffin, to help launch the British party's campaign for the June European elections.
Mr Le Pen, who was last month fined for inciting racist hatred in Paris, told reporters France risked being "submerged" by immigrants. "In France, we had 10 million immigrants in the past 30 years. If this is not stopped the population risks being submerged by these great invasions," he said.
Local politicians had condemned his visit to Manchester, a few kilometres from the scene of violent race riots in the town of Oldham in 2001.
The Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, had warned Mr Le Pen he faced arrest if he provoked racial tension during his visit. "I'd rather Mr Le Pen wasn't here and I'd rather the British National Party didn't exist in our country," he told BBC television.
Mr Le Pen attended a dinner with BNP supporters later yesterday.