Students protest Holocaust denier's appearance at Oxford debate
{{date|November 27, 2007}}
[[Image:Oxford protest 27-11-2007 flag.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Protesters opposed to Nick Griffin and David Irving. {{Image source|[[User:Shimgray|Shimgray]]}}]]
A group of about 500 demonstrators protested the presence of [[w:David Irving|David Irving]], an [[England|English]] historian and convicted [[w:Holocaust denial|Holocaust denier]], at a debate at [[w:Oxford University|Oxford University]] on Monday. The students broke into the Oxford Union building where the debate was being held and delayed the debate for over an hour.

British riot police were on the scene to maintain the peace. The demonstrators gathered in front of the building hours before the debate was to begin and later staged a sit-down protest in the building's halls. Only half of the people who had tickets to the debate were able to enter the building due to the protests. David Irving and [[w:Nick Griffin|Nick Griffin]], a leader of the far-right [[w:British National Party|British National Party]] who also participated in the debate, were forced to be separated and placed in different rooms. One protester was reportedly injured after a blow to the head.
[[Image:OxfordUnionTwo20040228CopyrightKaihsuTai.png|thumb|left|The Oxford Union building where the debate was held.]]
The topic of the debate was [[w:free speech|free speech]]. It was organized by the [[w:Oxford Union|Oxford Union]], who voted Friday to allow Irving to speak, amid controversy. The protest was organized by the activist group Unite Against Fascism, as well as members of the [[w:Oxford University Student Union|Oxford University Student Union]] and Oxford's [[w:Judaism|Jewish]] and [[w:Islam|Muslim]] societies.

Luke Tryl, president of the Oxford Union, defended the decision to allow Irving to speak, saying that the purpose of the debate was to discuss the limits of free speech, not to give the speakers a platform from which to endorse their views. Ned Temko, chief political correspondent of ''[[w:The Observer|The Observer]]'', disagreed, saying, "It's not a question about giving them a platform, it's about giving them credibility."

From February to December 2006, David Irving was jailed in [[Austria]] after being convicted of identifying with the [[w:Nazi Party|Nazi Party]]. He has written several books which deny the Holocaust and support the views of Adolf Hitler. In 1998, an English court found that he is "an active Holocaust denier; that he is [[w:Anti-Semitism|anti-Semitic]] and racist and that he associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism." Nick Griffin is the National Chairman of the British National Party, a [[w:nationalism|nationalist]] group known for its [[w:nativist|anti-immigration]] and anti-Muslim policies. In 1998, he was also convicted of denying the Holocaust.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jj75XTKlNiXE4f8wgOZM2YT69Hzg
|title=Controversial Oxford debate goes on despite protests
|author=
|pub=AFP
|date=November 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1195546721903&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
|title=Protesters break into Oxford debate
|author=Johhny Paul
|pub=The Jerusalem Post
|date=November 27, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL269877220071127?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true
|title=Protests hit Oxford debate with Holocaust denier
|author=Alessia Pierdomenico
|pub=Reuters
|date=November 26, 2007}} 
*{{source|url=http://news.aol.com/story/_a/protests-disrupt-oxford-forum/n20071126191909990016
|title=Protests Disrupt Oxford Forum
|author=Associated Press
|pub=AOL News
|date=November 26, 2007}}

{{Publish}}
{{archived}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:England]]
[[Category:University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:British National Party]]
[[Category:Nick Griffin]]
[[Category:The Holocaust]]
Protesters opposed to Nick Griffin and David Irving. 
A group of about 500 demonstrators protested the presence of David Irving, an English historian and convicted Holocaust denier, at a debate at Oxford University on Monday. The students broke into the Oxford Union building where the debate was being held and delayed the debate for over an hour.

British riot police were on the scene to maintain the peace. The demonstrators gathered in front of the building hours before the debate was to begin and later staged a sit-down protest in the building's halls. Only half of the people who had tickets to the debate were able to enter the building due to the protests. David Irving and Nick Griffin, a leader of the far-right British National Party who also participated in the debate, were forced to be separated and placed in different rooms. One protester was reportedly injured after a blow to the head.
The Oxford Union building where the debate was held.
The topic of the debate was free speech. It was organized by the Oxford Union, who voted Friday to allow Irving to speak, amid controversy. The protest was organized by the activist group Unite Against Fascism, as well as members of the Oxford University Student Union and Oxford's Jewish and Muslim societies.

Luke Tryl, president of the Oxford Union, defended the decision to allow Irving to speak, saying that the purpose of the debate was to discuss the limits of free speech, not to give the speakers a platform from which to endorse their views. Ned Temko, chief political correspondent of The Observer, disagreed, saying, "It's not a question about giving them a platform, it's about giving them credibility."

From February to December 2006, David Irving was jailed in Austria after being convicted of identifying with the Nazi Party. He has written several books which deny the Holocaust and support the views of Adolf Hitler. In 1998, an English court found that he is "an active Holocaust denier; that he is anti-Semitic and racist and that he associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism." Nick Griffin is the National Chairman of the British National Party, a nationalist group known for its anti-immigration and anti-Muslim policies. In 1998, he was also convicted of denying the Holocaust.
Politics and conflicts Education United Kingdom England University of Oxford Neo-Nazism British National Party Nick Griffin The Holocaust