Six people have been arrested at a “Walk with Jesus” event organised by the political party UKIP in Liverpool. It remains unclear whether those arrested were from UKIP or from a protest against the march organised by extreme left group Stand Up To Racism.
The United Kingdom Independence Party was once the primary vehicle campaigning for Britain’s exit from the European Union. In 2015 the party, then led by Nigel Farage, achieved 12 per cent of the vote at the general election.
While the party only gained one seat, their rising popularity at the time was credited by some as the cause of David Cameron’s decision to call for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union.
Since Brexit and the departure of Farage, the party has gone through a succession of leaders and enjoys minimal support.
Its current leader, Nick Tenconi, has shown an interest in a more explicitly Christian politics, leading some to describe him as a “Christian nationalist”. Tenconi is also the COO of Turning Point UK, a British offshoot of Turning Point USA, founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
The latest march in Liverpool follows a similar planned event that was due to take place in Whitechapel, but was not permitted by the police due to fears it could upset the local population, which is heavily Muslim.
UKIP described the Liverpool event as an act of worship dedicated to Jesus Christ.
Despite his Christian faith, Tenconi and UKIP under his leadership have not enjoyed universal support from the Christian community.
In January the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians In Europe (OIDAC) expressed concern about the banning of the London march, saying, “the march was halted not because of any unlawful content or conduct by the organisers but because authorities feared a hostile response from the local community, effectively silencing speech to prevent potential disorder.
“In doing so, the ban hands informal control over lawful expression to those prepared to threaten unrest, narrowing pluralism in the public sphere.”
In Liverpool however, a coalition of Christian representatives came out against Tenconi and instead sided with extreme left group Stand Up To Racism.
In a joint statement the, Anglican Interim Bishop of Liverpool, Ruth Worsley and the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, John Sherrington, said they agreed with the “many voices of concern” about the UKIP march.
"We will continue to stand firm against hatred, prejudice, racism and bigotry in all their forms, confident that these forces will not define who we are as a society," they said.
