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Demonstrators protesting outside Oxford University on Monday. (Reuters)
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Last update - 01:25 28/11/2007
Protesters disrupt Oxford debate with Holocaust denier
By Reuters
Tags: Holocaust denial 

Hundreds of protesters disrupted a debate on free speech at Oxford University on Monday, throwing eggs and staging a sit-in to try to prevent convicted Holocaust denier David Irving from speaking.

British riot police ringed the approach to the 184-year-old Oxford Union building in an effort to keep the protests by about 500 anti-fascist demonstrators, including Jewish and Muslim students, as peaceful as possible.

The debate was delayed by an hour-and-a-half but eventually went ahead in altered form with Irving, a British historian convicted and jailed by an Austrian court in 2006 for glorifying Nazism, taking part despite howls of protest.
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Irving was due to be joined by Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party, in the debate with four other speakers, including two students, in the same hall.

But when the protesters broke into the hall and disrupted proceedings, the event became a fractured discussion, with Irving in one room with two other speakers and Griffin in another room with the remaining two.

The demonstrators had gathered outside the prestigious debating society, where former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Mother Theresa have spoken, several hours before the debate.

Irving and Griffin were spirited into the hall before the demonstrations began.

Afterwards, students who took part in the debate said they were glad it had gone ahead despite the disruptions.

"I think it was a very balanced argument and both sides did really well," undergraduate Roland Scarlett told the BBC.

Protesters said they were pleased to have made their point.

The way to counter extremism

Commentators had lined up to condemn the union for staging the debate, saying the student-led organization was giving a platform to extremism partly in an effort to attract attention. The union had previously invited Kermit the Frog to speak.

Enraged at Irving's invitation, several prominent people, including British Defense Secretary Des Browne, canceled engagements for future debates. A politician from the opposition Conservative Party resigned from life membership of the union.

Irving, 69, has written several books which defend Adolf Hitler and deny the systematic extermination of six million Jews by the Nazis. He has been branded anti-Semitic and a racist by a British judge.

Griffin's British National Party is on the fringe of British politics, earning a reputation for strident positions against Muslims and immigration, although he has denied racism.

Oxford Union President Luke Tryl had defended the decision to invite the two saying the best way to counter extremism was to defeat it intellectually in debate.

"These people are not being given a platform to extol their views but are coming to talk about the limits of free speech," he wrote in a letter to union members who had expressed concern.

"It is my belief that pushing the views of these people underground achieves nothing ... Stopping them speaking only allows them to become free speech martyrs," he added.

Ned Temko, chief political correspondent of the Observer newspaper and a former editor of the Jewish Chronicle, said it was disingenuous of the debating society to invite the two and then try to hide behind the banner of freedom of speech.

"It's not a question about giving them a platform, it's about giving them credibility," he told the BBC. "It's ridiculous and it's irresponsible."

Related articles:
  • Oxford Univ. girds for protests over Holocaust denier Irving
  • David Irving: Jews should ask themselves why they are hated
  • Holocaust denier David Irving returns to England from Austrian jail
  • High-profile invitees to Oxford Union debate on Israel walk out

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      1.   They would have made splendid Nazis 11:17  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      2.   clickfool, british anti-semitism 11:41  |  miriam 27/11/07
      3.   For Miriam # 2 12:03  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      4.   Free speech - we invite Zionists why not Fascists? 12:09  |  Marc 27/11/07
      5.   Re Click #1 12:09  |  Esther 27/11/07
      6.   Irving did not deny the H. he only questioned its scale,and even 12:21  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      7.   What`s all the fuss about? 12:37  |  Chris Tobin 27/11/07
      8.   Clarification request 12:44  |  Bella 27/11/07
      9.   Lakshmi, you compare death by floods to the gas chambers? 12:59  |  Nannette 27/11/07
      10.   You know you`re a racist when people try to walk through you 13:17  |  H 27/11/07
      11.   Witness a murder, film the murder, record its harrowing sounds 13:22  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/11/07
      12.   Oxford protest have faild. Its a free country 14:07  |  Tamir Palestine 27/11/07
      13.   the right of Freedom of Speech is not absolute 14:14  |  AA 27/11/07
      14.   You Mean They United Us With Muslims??? 14:19  |  Yosemite 27/11/07
      15.   For AA, windmilling with wmpty words # 13 14:42  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      16.   Lakshmi # 6 15:02  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      17.   Tamir Palestine - when the shoe fits.... 15:03  |  Chanahs 27/11/07
      18.   Clickfool - can you please advise 15:06  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      19.   No Lakshmi - numbers 15:09  |  ChanaS 27/11/07
      20.   WHY ISN`T THIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY 15:15  |  nobodysacred 27/11/07
      21.   When scientists make wild claims ... 15:21  |  Scientist 27/11/07
      22.   #13 AA 15:44  |  Edith 27/11/07
      23.   Nanette,Chanah S. & H,the first two go back&read my post very 15:55  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      24.   #20 -Holocaust supporters? What are you talking about? 16:08  |  Patricia 27/11/07
      25.   Amusing 16:13  |  Jackie 27/11/07
      26.   The accepted number of victims of the Shoah 16:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/11/07
      27.   Lakshmi it is you who does not read or understand 16:23  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      28.   what research 16:27  |  edgar 27/11/07
      29.   H in London 16:28  |  TAZ 27/11/07
      30.   For Chanah S # 18 16:29  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      31.   Free Speech 16:52  |  Pensive 27/11/07
      32.   # 20 Nobody scared 17:08  |  H 27/11/07
      33.   IRVING IS A NAZI : IF OXFORD WANT HIM GOOD LUCK 17:11  |  *Van Kars* 27/11/07
      34.   Clickfool 17:12  |  Sammy 27/11/07
      35.   Protesters Disrupt Oxford Debate 17:16  |  JordanisPalestine 27/11/07
      36.   HAD WE IGNORED 17:32  |  sam el llanito 27/11/07
      37.   Lakshmi 17:37  |  H 27/11/07
      38.   To Clickfool: You cannot have it both ways 17:40  |  AA 27/11/07
      39.   Edgar 17:48  |  Patricia 27/11/07
      40.   27chanah S once again jumping into the fray without reading my 17:49  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      41.   25Jackie,I don`t know about the Netanhayoo situation but recently 18:05  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      42.   Irving is NOT a historian, he is a shameless and deliberate liar 18:23  |  Briton 27/11/07
      43.   Lakshimi 18:45  |  Ariel 27/11/07
      44.   thank you *Van Kars* from Holland... you are so right 18:55  |  Pia 27/11/07
      45.   patricia 18:57  |  edgar 27/11/07
      46.   to JordanisPalestine 19:03  |  edgar 27/11/07
      47.   denial in the PA 19:07  |  xxx 27/11/07
      48.   Why Jew Haters support Irving? Because he is a Jew Hater! Freedom 19:10  |  Vittorio 27/11/07
      49.   Lakshmi: Dr. A? That was Ahmadijan 19:10  |  AA 27/11/07
      50.   freedom of speech 19:29  |  Shmuelshachor 27/11/07
      51.   37 H 7 42 briton,H what`s your point?i have never said that there 19:32  |  lakshmi 27/11/07
      52.   For Sammy # 34 19:33  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      53.   For AA # 38 19:42  |  Clickfool 27/11/07
      54.   Edgar the quibbler. 19:48  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/11/07
      55.   David Irving got his Degree in Holocaust Denial from Moslems 19:59  |  Efox 27/11/07
      56.   Edgar, you are... 20:00  |  Patricia 27/11/07
      57.   Oxford Union 20:04  |  Phineas 27/11/07
      58.   re: edgar 20:06  |  Efox 27/11/07
      59.   Not A Free Speach Issue At All 20:09  |  Tom 27/11/07
      60.   Clowns all around 20:24  |  Jon 27/11/07
      61.   edgar the ignorant 20:25  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      62.   Phineas, Taraunga 20:31  |  Tom 27/11/07
      63.   Protesters played directly into the hands......... 21:25  |  Deborah 27/11/07
      64.   THE COURT called him a falsifier of history.What Oxford needs? 21:33  |  PETER S.M. 27/11/07
      65.   What`s interesting 21:43  |  Colin Wright 27/11/07
      66.   Vittorio #48 well said Clickfool, N. Durson, Lakshimi and the 21:44  |  Josef 27/11/07
      67.   Tom # 62 re Phineas 21:59  |  Barry 27/11/07
      68.   Lakshmi 22:01  |  H 27/11/07
      69.   channah and patricia 22:06  |  edgar 27/11/07
      70.   The heart of the issue 22:10  |  RealityCheck 27/11/07
      71.   # 33 # IRVING is a clickFOOL 22:19  |  **Lou KNEE** 27/11/07
      72.   to margie 22:22  |  edgar 27/11/07
      73.   The Reason Irving`s Speech Should be Illegal... 22:22  |  dyinglikeflies 27/11/07
      74.   Prestigious?? 22:35  |  Webster 27/11/07
      75.   #60 Jon, I agree, but... 23:01  |  Tom 27/11/07
      76.   edgar # 69 23:26  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      77.   edgar # 69 (again) 23:30  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      78.   RealityCheck # 70 23:33  |  ChanahS 27/11/07
      79.   Edgar who chooses not to understand. 23:43  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/11/07
      80.