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news item
 27/11/07
The uprising against fascism
This headline is taken from the front cover of today's independent. Over two thousand demonstrators flocked outside the Oxford Union last night to oppose the 'free speech forum' organised by the Union to which convicted Holocaust denier David Irving and the leader of the fascist BNP Nick Griffin, who also has a 1998 criminal conviction for publishing material denying the Holocaust were invited as speakers.
 Speakers at the anti-fascist protest included Lord Mayor of Oxford Cllr John Tanner, Glyn Ford MEP, Yair Zivan (Union of Jewish Students), Martin MacCluskey (President-Oxford University Student Union), Ruqayyah Collector (NUS Black Students Officer), representatives of the Oxford District Trades Council, Oxford University Jewish and Islamic Societies, Weyman Bennett & Denis Fernando (Unite Against Fascism) Martin Smith (Love Music Hate Racism), Ian McKendrick & Amy Gilliagan ( Oxford Unite Against Fascism) and Richard Kirkwood, a former officer of the Oxford Union who burned his membership card in protest. Local MP Andrew Smith sent a message of support to the demonstration stating "The true threat to freedom of speech comes from men such as Mr Griffin who argue for the use of ' boots and fists' as political tools."
Jonathan Hoffman read a statement from Deborah Lipstadt who was unsuccesfully taken to court by David Irving who said "I spent 12 weeks in court defending myself against charges of libel brought against me by David Irving. My defense team proved that David Irving, in the words of the judgment issued ... simply put, lies. The judge found his writings to be racist and antisemitic... The President of the Union has claimed that they are not being invited to spout their views... Griffin has a platform anytime he wants it and David Irving used and abused your courts as a platform to spew his distortions of history. " Oxford musicians from Truckfest also performed a part of Love Music Hate Racism's support for the protest outside the union throughout the evening.
 Nick Griffin grotesquely compared demonstrators to Nazis when in fact many of them face a mortal threat from fascism.The BNP have openly expressed admiration for Hitler.
The debate was disrupted, delayed by two hours and in the end, was not held in the format the Union had planned for.
Whilst Oxford Union rebutted the widely held view that this was nothing but cheap publicity, instead claiming to be anti-fascists, and that their debate would "crush" the bnp, we note that not only is the BNP still very much in existence, its website is heralding the event as the end of no-platform in students unions, which were designed to protect students on campus from hate-speech by such fascist groups.
The most powerful opposition to fascism came not from within the chamber but from the peaceful demonstration calling for Oxford Union not to become a tool for giving fascists prestigious cover, which were picked up widely in the media.
UAF will redouble its efforts to ensure that Universities and Colleges remain free of the fascist poison of the BNP and David Irving.
Below are the links to some of the media coverage on the events of last night.
Independent
Independent
Guardian
» printable view
» see the photos
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