Nick Tenconi and his goons travelled down to Exeter to meet up with the local far right today. The problem for Nick is that it doesn’t matter which direction he travels, he can’t manage to attract more than a handful of thugs to march behind his banner (and his new Iron Cross flag).
At least 500 antifascists gathered to oppose them, from Stand up to Racism, trade unions, Community Solidarity Devon, and local independent antifascist groups.
Looking frustrated
It didn’t take little Nick long to look frustrated. Confined to the pavement by the police, there wasn’t the space to fully unfurl his usual ‘mass deportations now’ banner.
So, his gang of followers from UKIP, Turning Point UK, Patriots of Britain, alongside the local far-right from the South West Patriots Alliance and Britain First – numbering no more than 90 combined – stumbled around Exeter, finding a hostile reception from shoppers and football fans all along their route.
Usual chants
Tenco worked through his usual repertoire of chants, boring even himself, to the point where he spent the second half of the march looking directly at his phone. He really doesn’t look like he’s enjoying it these days.
At one point he took exception at being called a Nazi by a young anti-fascist, his voice rising as he outlined how that would make him a target for violence – apparently forgetting that just minutes prior he had been threatening to deport ‘communists’.
Little legs
A few local farmers in tractors joined Tenconi’s march on Queen Street, apparently arranged by local thug and Tommy Robinson supporter Jordan Rowe. Tenconi attempted to climb aboard a tractor to deliver a speech, not appreciating how tricky this might be – and was – with his little legs in a tight suit.
Further around the route, outside the now-closed Locomotive pub, where the EDL gathered for their march around the city in 2013, Tenconi’s security detail were caught napping by a local antifascist, who managed to wade through the Patriots of Britain thugs and let Tenconi know exactly what he thought of him, directly in his face.
There have been many Tenconi disasters over the last 18 months, but this one was a particular lowlight. You can see how much he’s starting to hate taking this job.
