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Brexit Party candidate ‘received milkshake threats’ ahead of Margate meeting

A general election candidate has received "milkshake threats" ahead of a Brexit Party event that is expected to draw as many as 100 protesters.

Leave voters from across the county are expected to descend on the Walpole Hotel in Margate on Friday for a meet and greet with prospective MPs for the Nigel Farage-led group.

Nigel Farage with Brexit Party supporters in Gravesend (18760987)
Nigel Farage with Brexit Party supporters in Gravesend (18760987)

However, a Remainer-led demonstration will take place outside the building when the function begins.

And in a letter written to protest organiser Rob Yates, Brexit Party candidate John Fitzpatrick asks to meet with the activist to make sure no-one attending the meeting is “intimidated”.

“The pavements near the hotel are quite narrow, and I hope that you will take that into account,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

“One of the candidates has, in connection with the meeting, received ‘milkshake’ threats.

“Other opponents have expressly suggested that the meeting be cancelled. I do not suggest that you were involved in either of those approaches.”

John Fitzpatrick, law professor and former Director of Kent Law Clinic, is the Brexit Party candidate for North Thanet
John Fitzpatrick, law professor and former Director of Kent Law Clinic, is the Brexit Party candidate for North Thanet

Those selected by the Brexit Party to stand in Ashford, Canterbury, North Thanet and South Thanet are expected to attend.

In addition, Evie Martin and Tania Jackson - who will be contesting Sittingbourne and Sheppey and Gillingham and Rainham - will also be at the rally.

Mr Yates, a Labour district councillor in Thanet, says the protesters will be joined by a choir and insists the demonstration will be good-natured.

But Mr Fitzpatrick, who will be running in North Thanet, added: “It seems odd that those who profess to welcome everybody to Margate should not want to welcome prospective parliamentary candidates not only from Margate itself, but from Herne Bay, Canterbury, Sittingbourne and Sheppey, Gillingham and Rainham, and Ashford.

“Are we too foreign or too unfashionable for your idea of Margate? Shouldn’t we be made welcome? After all, this is a democracy, and these people are standing for Parliament.

Thanet district councillor Rob Yates
Thanet district councillor Rob Yates

“As to Brexit itself, a big problem with political discourse today is that many people tell themselves that those who disagree with them are morally and intellectually inferior human beings who should be hated and feared, shouted down and excluded from the conversation by being slandered as ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic’.

“I do not suggest that this is your view, and I hope it is not that of other protesters on Friday.”

Cllr Yates, though, stresses that the group would not condone any form of intimidation.

He says the demonstrators will congregate outside the hotel to express their desire to remain in the EU.

“We don’t support any intimidation or threats – it’s not in the spirit of what we’re doing,” Cllr Yates added.

The meeting will be held at the Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate
The meeting will be held at the Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate

“It’s my fear that when people see political protests they see it as quite aggressive and that’s the exact opposite of what we want to do.

“The whole point of the protest is to be a very friendly, positive choir protest that people can sing along to in a cheerful way,” he added.

“We’ll have songs saying we want to stay in the EU; we don’t make any apologies for that being a message we’ll be singing.”

The meeting is set to take place between 7pm and 10.30pm on Friday.

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