Unite Against Fascism’s Manchester conference Sat 18th July.

I think you’re right. The only way to beat the BNP is to let them speak, and then counter their malicious views with ethical argument. I defend my right to express myself. And your right to disagree. I defend the right of the BNP & fascists to speak up, and my own right to stand up and disagree.
However, I am not calling for aggression towards the BNP nor its supporters.
Therefore, I think you are mistaken when you refer to debate as bullying; just because reasoned argument renders fascism impotent with glassy-eyed embarrassment is no reason to be silent. It may leave you feeling uncomfortable that BNP members cannot justify their policies when faced with opposition, but that is no reason to restrict criticism & protest.
The UK has a long honourable history of peaceful protest. Remarkable rights have been won this way, not only in Britain but worldwide, including the right to free speech, the right to political protest and your very right to vote at all! We all have a debt of gratitude to the people who protested in the past and should honour Britain’s tolerance of protest and defend it for the future.
The BNP’s desire to restrict these rights should be countered. Around the world ordinary people are struggling daily against oppression, inequality, fundamentalism and other forms of totalitarianism. The notion of legitimizing separation based on birth-right, nationality, sexuality, creed, colour, religion, or gender is anthropologically ludicrous, dangerous, and ultimately leads to the oppression and degradation of other human-beings. This is why it is important to stand against fascism and all the other ‘isms’ which cause so much pain and suffering worldwide.