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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| BNP to speak to Oxford students | BNP to speak to Oxford students |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The Oxford Union has voted to allow the British National Party (BNP) leader and a controversial historian to speak at a free speech event on Monday. | |
| Despite opposition, the Oxford Union Debating Society members voted by a margin of 2 to 1 to continue to extend an invite to the BNP's Nick Griffin. | Despite opposition, the Oxford Union Debating Society members voted by a margin of 2 to 1 to continue to extend an invite to the BNP's Nick Griffin. |
| David Irving, who was jailed for Holocaust denial, will also be invited. | David Irving, who was jailed for Holocaust denial, will also be invited. |
| The move was opposed by the Oxford Student Union and the university's Muslim and Jewish societies. | The move was opposed by the Oxford Student Union and the university's Muslim and Jewish societies. |
| The Oxford Union Debating Society said it was important to give people of all views a platform. | The Oxford Union Debating Society said it was important to give people of all views a platform. |
| Luke Tryl, president of the society, said: "The men were not being given a platform to extol their views, but were coming to talk about the limits for free speech. | Luke Tryl, president of the society, said: "The men were not being given a platform to extol their views, but were coming to talk about the limits for free speech. |
| "They will be speaking in the context of a forum in which there will be other speakers to challenge and attack their views in a head to head manner." | "They will be speaking in the context of a forum in which there will be other speakers to challenge and attack their views in a head to head manner." |
| Jailed | Jailed |
| Mr Griffin, the leader of the far-right party, has repeatedly insisted the BNP is not a racist group. | Mr Griffin, the leader of the far-right party, has repeatedly insisted the BNP is not a racist group. |
| He was convicted in 1998 for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust. | He was convicted in 1998 for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust. |
| Mr Irving was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to Holocaust denial in Austria. | Mr Irving was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to Holocaust denial in Austria. |
| But he denied being a Holocaust denier as he said he had no alternative but to plead guilty to the charge. | But he denied being a Holocaust denier as he said he had no alternative but to plead guilty to the charge. |
| The union said all tickets for the event, which were only available to its members - who are mainly students - had gone. | The union said all tickets for the event, which were only available to its members - who are mainly students - had gone. |
| A rally in protest at the invitation was held on Tuesday and among those speaking there were Holocaust survivors. | A rally in protest at the invitation was held on Tuesday and among those speaking there were Holocaust survivors. |
| Stephen Altmann-Richer, co-president of the Oxford University Jewish Society, said that while freedom of speech was important it was "overshadowed in this instance". | Stephen Altmann-Richer, co-president of the Oxford University Jewish Society, said that while freedom of speech was important it was "overshadowed in this instance". |
| "I don't think these people should be invited to the Oxford Union, by having them speak, it legitimises their views," he said. | "I don't think these people should be invited to the Oxford Union, by having them speak, it legitimises their views," he said. |