Meeting called at uni after BNP article published in student paper
student | 21.11.2005 20:04 | Anti-racism | Education | Migration
After a provocative article entitled 'Why you should vote for the BNP' appeared in a student newspaper at the University of Nottingham, following increased BNP actitivy in the Nottinghamshire area (including a student at the University standing as a BNP candidate in the recent election), concerned students have organised an Anti-Fascist meeting:
On Wednesday 30th November, 7-9pm, room C50, Portland Building, Nottinghamshire University.
Claire Taylor from the School of History on talk on 'Why no platform for fascists'. Other talks will include: Pete Radcliff from Notts Socialist Green Unity Forum on 'What is fascism and Post WW2 fascism?' and someone from Notts Anti Fascist Alliance (NAFA) on present anti fascist campaigns in the Nottinghamshire area. The evening is organised by Nottingham University Peace Movement (NSPM) and the Lenton Anarchist Forum.
On Wednesday 30th November, 7-9pm, room C50, Portland Building, Nottinghamshire University.
Claire Taylor from the School of History on talk on 'Why no platform for fascists'. Other talks will include: Pete Radcliff from Notts Socialist Green Unity Forum on 'What is fascism and Post WW2 fascism?' and someone from Notts Anti Fascist Alliance (NAFA) on present anti fascist campaigns in the Nottinghamshire area. The evening is organised by Nottingham University Peace Movement (NSPM) and the Lenton Anarchist Forum.
Article published in the Nottingham Student Peace Movement's Newspaper: 'Ceasefire' as a reaction to the BNP article published in 'the Sanctuary' - another student newspaper.
NO PLATFORM FOR FASCISTS
The lies told by the far Right, by organisations such as the British National Party (BNP) are racist, homophobic and sexist; they are not only offensive but also dangerous as they incite hatred and violence. To defend the spread of such lies under the cry of ‘freedom of speech’ is ludicrous; if the BNP were to take power in this country then they would not only silence people’s freedom of speech but also freedom of movement and for many their freedom to live. I believe that the freedom to live without fear of oppression is more important than the unimpeded freedom of speech. Fascists do not believe in freedom of speech but are quick to exploit liberal arguments in favour of it for their own purposes.
The right to free speech is not absolute; it has always been conditional: restricted by laws covering sedition, slander, criminal libel, treason, contempt of court, intention to provoke a breach of the peace and inciting racial hatred. Why is it that the latter is so frequently disregarded?
Giving the BNP a platform in publications other than their own, such as a ‘student’ newspaper, gives them the veneer of political respectability that they crave, providing their ideas with undeserved legitimacy. It is one thing to allow an individual the right to free speech and quite another to allow an organisation of hateful fascist ideology a platform within a community that they are not part of and indeed likely to, at best offend, and at worst provoke hateful attacks. Why are students at our university offering the BNP a platform when they can no longer get their own paper printed anywhere in the country due to its repulsive and offensive content?
Fascism is not simply a set of opinions it is an extremely violent movement, which is alarmingly growing. This year the BNP gained a total of 192,750 votes in the election, four times that of 2001. There are currently 21 local councillors, and in these areas incidents of homophobia and racist attacks have risen. Indeed, in the recent election a post-graduate student from Nottingham University, Sadie Graham, stood as a candidate for the BNP. In Europe the close election of Le Pen’s Le Front National and in Belgium the far-Right Vlaams Belang who won nearly a third of the vote in the last election should be a loud wake-up call to everyone concerned with preserving their freedom of speech. We can’t dismiss these ideas as extreme and held by an insignificant minority, we must actively engage with preventing this abhorrent ideology from spreading.
Largely due to a banal fascism creeping into the public unconscious and a growing acceptance as ‘common sense’ right wing, authoritarian ideas, particularly through the mainstream media, the far Right’s irrational appeals can speak to pervasive unconscious prejudices in a dangerous manipulating manner. Toleration of lies dressed up as part of the “marketplace of political ideas” is an apathetic acceptance of politics as something that is consumerable rather than requiring your active participation.
The publication to which I have been referring did so in a careless attempt at creating controversy without thought to the impact on those who might suffer as a result of the dissemination of such racist material. Rather than reply through them - I am not prepared to share a platform with fascists - I would rather reply on a platform for peace that aims to prevent rather than cultivate killing people - i.e. is not sponsored by dealers in the arms trade.
Stopping short at a call to militant anti-fascist action against those responsible for neo-Nazi propaganda, though for thoughtless sensationalism rather than fully sharing the ideology, I instead choose to take direct action by collecting copies and placing them in the local recycling in the hope that they might one-day serve a useful function by becoming toilet paper.
Statistics sourced from the BBC
Produced as a result of discussions at Lenton Anarchist Forum
NO PLATFORM FOR FASCISTS
The lies told by the far Right, by organisations such as the British National Party (BNP) are racist, homophobic and sexist; they are not only offensive but also dangerous as they incite hatred and violence. To defend the spread of such lies under the cry of ‘freedom of speech’ is ludicrous; if the BNP were to take power in this country then they would not only silence people’s freedom of speech but also freedom of movement and for many their freedom to live. I believe that the freedom to live without fear of oppression is more important than the unimpeded freedom of speech. Fascists do not believe in freedom of speech but are quick to exploit liberal arguments in favour of it for their own purposes.
The right to free speech is not absolute; it has always been conditional: restricted by laws covering sedition, slander, criminal libel, treason, contempt of court, intention to provoke a breach of the peace and inciting racial hatred. Why is it that the latter is so frequently disregarded?
Giving the BNP a platform in publications other than their own, such as a ‘student’ newspaper, gives them the veneer of political respectability that they crave, providing their ideas with undeserved legitimacy. It is one thing to allow an individual the right to free speech and quite another to allow an organisation of hateful fascist ideology a platform within a community that they are not part of and indeed likely to, at best offend, and at worst provoke hateful attacks. Why are students at our university offering the BNP a platform when they can no longer get their own paper printed anywhere in the country due to its repulsive and offensive content?
Fascism is not simply a set of opinions it is an extremely violent movement, which is alarmingly growing. This year the BNP gained a total of 192,750 votes in the election, four times that of 2001. There are currently 21 local councillors, and in these areas incidents of homophobia and racist attacks have risen. Indeed, in the recent election a post-graduate student from Nottingham University, Sadie Graham, stood as a candidate for the BNP. In Europe the close election of Le Pen’s Le Front National and in Belgium the far-Right Vlaams Belang who won nearly a third of the vote in the last election should be a loud wake-up call to everyone concerned with preserving their freedom of speech. We can’t dismiss these ideas as extreme and held by an insignificant minority, we must actively engage with preventing this abhorrent ideology from spreading.
Largely due to a banal fascism creeping into the public unconscious and a growing acceptance as ‘common sense’ right wing, authoritarian ideas, particularly through the mainstream media, the far Right’s irrational appeals can speak to pervasive unconscious prejudices in a dangerous manipulating manner. Toleration of lies dressed up as part of the “marketplace of political ideas” is an apathetic acceptance of politics as something that is consumerable rather than requiring your active participation.
The publication to which I have been referring did so in a careless attempt at creating controversy without thought to the impact on those who might suffer as a result of the dissemination of such racist material. Rather than reply through them - I am not prepared to share a platform with fascists - I would rather reply on a platform for peace that aims to prevent rather than cultivate killing people - i.e. is not sponsored by dealers in the arms trade.
Stopping short at a call to militant anti-fascist action against those responsible for neo-Nazi propaganda, though for thoughtless sensationalism rather than fully sharing the ideology, I instead choose to take direct action by collecting copies and placing them in the local recycling in the hope that they might one-day serve a useful function by becoming toilet paper.
Statistics sourced from the BBC
Produced as a result of discussions at Lenton Anarchist Forum
student
Additions
ceasefire available this week
22.11.2005 11:12
ceasefire will be out this week, containing a full section on fascism with a debate on 'no platform' and sanctuary editor tom freeman's defence. we'll try to get a pdf version on this site.
Nottingham Student Peace Movement
e-mail:
sunspm@gwmail.nottingham.ac.uk
Homepage:
http://su.nottingham.ac.uk/~nspm
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Failure of the left
22.11.2005 11:57
"Largely due to a banal fascism creeping into the public unconscious and a growing acceptance as ‘common sense’ right wing, authoritarian ideas, particularly through the mainstream media, the far Right’s irrational appeals can speak to pervasive unconscious prejudices in a dangerous manipulating manner."
Not only did the BNP gain about 750,000 votes in the 2004 Euro elections but they also gained nearly 200,000 votes in the 2005 gen election. Under a perfectly proportional system the BNP would have 5 MP's compared with 2 MP's for Respect - the so-called left party.
The reason for this growth must rest largely on the shoulders of the left. The SWP and their electoral front Respect are the largest party of the left but they do not, or will not, attempt to appeal to white, working class voters. The other groups on the left are largely mired in sectariaan squabbling about often petty and irrelevant issues.
In order to defeat the BNP and far-right, more than just anti-fascism is required, as noble a movement as it may be. A coherent left party is neccesary to appeal to socialists and the working class alike, some of whom may be tempted to vote for the BNP in their frustration at New Labour and the mainstream parties. The following article is an excellent analysis of the situation.
I have found the above website to contain many excellent articles and analysis superior to most other left organisations, especially the SWP. I left that organisation along with the Socialist Alliance and Respect after becoming disillusioned with the SWP line. It is obvious to me that Respect is merely a vehicle for George Galloway to get back into Parliament and is shamelessly divisive in targeting the Muslim vote. This will be easy for the BNP to exploit to it's own ends.
Uncle Joe
Students doh
23.11.2005 01:23
1. What lies ? Can you please elaborate? Please be precise here
2. Can you pin point the racism
3. ditto homophobic
4. ditto sexist
Dave
doh fascists
23.11.2005 15:13
The article claimed a number of "facts" that were no such things. I will reply more fully when I have the article in my possession.
2. Can you pin point the racism
To my memory Stuart Russell (aka Phil Edwards) claimed that students from non-white backgrounds were not intellectually capable of keeping up with british school standards. This is a racist lie.
3. ditto homophobic
The BNP claim that homosexuality is unnatural. A homophobic lie.
4. ditto sexist
Russell also claimed that "the normal aspirations of women" were not in getting an education or a career but staying in the kitchen. This is a sexist lie.
There is much much more that can be added of course.
According to Stuart Russell:-
"The danger of allowing gays to continue their propaganda outweighs the danger of denying them free speech"
I would say that's rather more true of the BNP's propaganda.
antifash
Go BNP!
19.08.2006 07:44
Dave