null Farage Slams "Wilfully Obstructive" Police After Protest
6 February 2016, 16:51 | Updated: 24 August 2016, 14:59
Nigel Farage has told LBC he's been the victim of trade-union funded bullying after he had to cancel an appearance in Rotherham following protests.
The Ukip leader spoke to Iain Dale after the incident, claiming he had been struck over the head by a placard. He also accused the police of not keeping protestors a "sensible, safe distance away".
Farage said the police were "wilfully obstructive as far as we were concerned".
"Let me promise you, in South Yorkshire, when it comes to Ukip, the police aren't interested...It took us a huge amount of time to get any uniformed help of any kind at all. Frankly I think the whole thing is disgraceful.
"It's as if [the police] view Ukip as the enemy and perhaps they're right to.
He continued his criticism: "It was also the police force that did nothing to prevent and stop one of the worst social scandals of our lifetimes. Here we are as a political party, daring to challenge this and daring to say something must be done. Perhaps that's got something to do with it."
Earlier, Farage told LBC the union protest was "monstrous".
"Whatever one or two people outside the door might say, there is a growing number of people in Rotherham who do want Ukip."
Labour MP Sarah Champion sent a gloating tweet over Mr Farage's predicament, saying: "Hilarious Nigel Farage is trapped inside the Rotherham Ukip shop by people objecting to him coming to rubber neck at victims!"
But Mr Farage hit back, tweeting: "Disgraceful Labour MPs think suppressing democracy is "hilarious" especially given seriousness of Rotherham situation."
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