Austrian right-wing politician Mr Jorg Haider made a brief visit to London today amid protests Britain was lending legitimacy to his racist policies.
A small group of demonstrators from Britain's Anti-Nazi League (ANL) wielding placards proclaiming "Haider is Hitler" shouted "Haider you're not welcome here" as the former Freedom Party leader arrived at a news conference.
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Mr Jorg Haider
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The ANL and others disputed Mr Haider's stated reason for visiting London - to promote tourism to the southern Austrian province of Carinthia, where he is governor.
"What we think is actually happening is that he's using this to relaunch his political career," an ANL spokesman said ahead of the visit.
Mr Haider, who once called Adolf Hitler's employment policies "orderly", was forced to stand down as party leader in 2000 after his party's entry into a coalition government provoked the European Union to slap sanctions on Austria.
Mr Haider said he felt vindicated by the renewed debate on immigration taking place in many European countries.
"With a delay of nearly 10 years the EU has accepted the challenge of immigration policy," he said. "We have been too soon with our ideas but it was right for Austria," he claimed.
British politicians and activists had called for the Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, to ban Mr Haider's visit, fearing it would stir up racial tensions.
But the government said it had no involvement in Mr Haider's visit, which was organised by the Austrian National Tourist Office.
PA