Medway blogger attacks anti-war protesters for vandalising charity billboards

Medway blogger Alan Collins has attacked anti-war protesters for vandalising billboards advertising the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Mr Collins, a member of the Royal British Legion and the Royal Air Forces Association, as well as a former member of the Air Training Corps, expressed his anger at the tactics used by the protesters.

“The whole point of the Poppy Appeal is to promote and finance support for servicemen who have fought bravely and professionally for our freedom,” Mr Collins said.

“They fought, and in many cases, died to give us the freedom to protest, not to give us the freedom to commit criminal acts.

“I’m not saying I don’t disagree with what the protesters are saying. There are many questions that need answering about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this is not the way to go about getting heard.”

Alan Collins has long been a supporter of Britain’s Armed Forces, helping to collect money for the Poppy Appeal for the last few years, and his comments came after vandalism of the billboards with messages including “For their sake, bring ’em home” and “For their sake, prosecute Blair” angered him.

Mr Collins added: “the Poppy Appeal isn’t about arguing about which wars are just and which should never have been entered into. It’s about supporting and helping our servicemen and women for their bravery and professionalism.

“The fact that these people have manipulated the Poppy Appeal campaign for their own political protest is, quite frankly, disgusting.”