Tony Blair said the BNP wanted to get involved with the protest in London Tony Blair has hinted that he could signal a book signing in London on Wednesday to prevent causing the police “a lot of hassle”.
The comments follow eggs and shoes being thrown at the former UK prime minister at a similar event in Dublin at the weekend.
Mr Blair told Daybreak on ITV1 it was “not as if we need” to do signings to sell copies of his memoirs.
But people should not try to prevent him from holding the events, he added.
Four men were arrested after eggs, bottles and shoes were thrown at him during anti-Iraq war protests at the Dublin signing following the release of his memoirs last week..
Mr Blair described those involved as a “minority”, adding that, on such occasions, “the protesters get all the publicity”.
Another event is planned for Waterstone’s in Piccadilly, central London, on Wednesday, with rigorous security measures in place.
But Mr Blair, prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said: “I’m concerned that I don’t want to put people through a lot of hassle at this Wednesday’s signing.”
He added that he had heard the British National Party “had wanted to get involved in the action”.
With the book, called A Journey, reportedly selling well, Mr Blair said: “It’s not as if we need to do it [the signing].”
But he added that cancelling would be “sad at the same time”, saying: “People should protest but not physically try to prevent you from doing it.”
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