Why was UKIP given a stall at event?

A fabulous children’s event in Bath city centre was marred by the arrival of the right wing political party UKIP on Saturday, September 29. Why, oh why, oh why did Bath council think it was suitable to allow UKIP to set up a stall and peddle their racist nonsense in the middle of a children’s event? Gerrard Batten, the leader of UKIP recently spoke at a rally organised by the far right group Democratic Football Lads Alliance, he has welcomed far right social media activists into the party, and has openly supported Stephen Yaxley Lennon. The UKIP party’s rules forbid membership to former members of the EDL or far-right organisations, but that has not stopped Gerrard. Nigel Farage has expressed his concerns about the far right wing direction UKIP is taking. And yet UKIP continue to court the alt-right faction. Children had to endure racist language, swearing, threats, shouting and arguments as people made their feelings known. I even saw one man doing a Nazi salute! Many people refused to engage with the Forest of the Imagination event, assuming it was something to do with UKIP. It was unfortunate that the flyers about the children’s event were the same colour as the UKIP flyers. The Forest of Imagination was a fabulous fun filled day for children. A lot of hard work and money had been invested by a lot of goodhearted people. Why did Bath council give a permit to UKIP to hold a gathering and stall in the middle of it? Why were the organisers of the children’s event not told about it? I do not believe this was an accident and we must hold our council to account for this behaviour. Clare Crestani