Leeds University has been condemned by certain members of the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Students (NUS) for publishing an interview with Nick Griffin, chairman of the British National Party (BNP) in their newspaper, Leeds Student.
The interview, carried out by student James Greenhalgh, addresses accusations of racism, gay rights and the future of the party. However, Aaron Kiely, the NUS Black StudentsÔÇÖ Officer claimed to be ÔÇ£appalledÔÇØ by the interview, which he described as┬á ÔÇ£offensiveÔÇØ, and has demanded it be removed immediately in an open letter posted on the internet on the same day.
The article, published on 26th October, addresses Griffin on a range of issues, including the falling public support of the party, upcoming elections, as well as GriffinÔÇÖs typically offensive attitude toward homosexuals and ethnic minorities.
Within his response statement, Aaron Kiely, claimed: ÔÇ£In publishing this interview, Leeds Student risks giving legitimacy to a fascist organisation, and boosts the BNPÔÇÖs attempts to join the political mainstream when we should be isolating them.ÔÇØ
Members of the National Excutive Committee considered the interview with Griffin to be in breach of their ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy, which dictates that anyone considered racist or fascist should not be able to stand in any NUS elections or participate in any NUS function. This policy is rooted in the idea that fascism stands for the destruction of democracy and freedom and the annihilation of whole groups of people. As a result, there is no logical debate to be had with fascists. Yet it is not necessary for a studentsÔÇÖ union to adopt the NUS policy, as there is no legal obligation.
However, Aaron Kiely and the other members of the National Executive Committee who signed his open letter have been questioned in their legitimacy in challenging the interview. Lucy Snow, Editor of Leeds Student, defended her decision to publish the interview, claiming: ÔÇ£I was voted into my position by students on our campus, the same students who are exposed to what’s in the newspaper.
ÔÇ£In their email demanding that I remove the article, the NUS signed off “in unity”. In unity with whom? None of my team voted for their “no platform for fascists” policy, nor did we vote for these NUS officers. While we have a say on who gets to be an executive member of the Student Union at Leeds University, we don’t get to choose our national NUS officers or their policies.ÔÇØ
She also made a point of addressing the LGBT+ committee members before printing, and they decided to include in the article the fact that the interviewer, James Greenhalgh, is gay. Snow admitted that a vulnerable, first-year student who is struggling to come to terms with their sexuality might be affected by GriffinÔÇÖs comments, which include describing two gay men kissing as ÔÇ£creepyÔÇØ, but also stressed that student papers should not shy away from confronting extreme politics.
Yet although Lucy Snow has stood by her decision to publish the article, Antony Haddley, the Union Affairs Officer at Leeds University has drawn attention to the controversial nature of the interview. On his blog, he stated: ÔÇ£As with the students we represent, there is divided opinion on the Exec as to whether the UnionÔÇÖs ÔÇ£No PlatformÔÇØ policy should cover printed interviews or whether the article should have been printed in the first place considering there was no wider context in the news.┬á Our disagreement isnÔÇÖt a hindrance; we want to join with the student body to participate in open debate about all aspects of the ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy.
This is not the first time that the NUS has faced resistance with regards to its ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy. George Galloway, who has been prevented from speaking at university unionÔÇÖs eventsÔÇÖ due to his comments defending Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder who was accused of rape. He has announced plans to sue the NUS for defamation, with any damages he receives to be donated to the Defence Fund for Julian Assange.
In his open letter addressing Leeds StudentÔÇÖs interview, Aaron Kiely quoted the Holocaust as an example of why fascists should not be allowed a platform anywhere in the student movement. He said: ÔÇ£We should always remember that the millions of people who died at the hands of the NazisÔÇÖ slaughter ÔÇô in the gas chambers and the concentration camps ÔÇô did not die because their debating skills or arguments were not powerful enough.┬á They died because once fascism had abused the democratic system to get its grip on power, it soon closed down any freedoms to prevent any resistance.ÔÇØ
Cardiff University StudentsÔÇÖ Union clarified ÔÇ£there is no direct action the NUS are able to takeÔÇØ, although they could impose other “sanctions” such as to prevent access to NUS events. Cardiff University does not have a ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy, as its stance has previously been that such a policy is in itself a censorship of valid debate.
Following the media interest around the interview, and the response from Aaron Kiely, the president of the NUS, Liam Burns, clarified his position, drawing attention to the fact that he did not condone KielyÔÇÖs response to the interview.
He stated, ÔÇ£I have made it clear to the National Executive Council why I wonÔÇÖt be signing the letter because I believe that our work must always be with the studentsÔÇÖ unions we work for, not separate to them.
ÔÇ£We should be proud of our position on ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ, a position consistently voted for by studentsÔÇÖ unions, and so we should work to support the sabbaticals at Leeds in what is an incredibly difficult situation.ÔÇØ
Chris Williams, Head of Student Media at Cardiff University, addressed Liam Burns, stating ÔÇ£whilst we understand the ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy which governs the NUS, we absolutely cannot support any action taken by the NUS to tell a student newspaper what they can and cannot publishÔÇØ.
Lucy SnowÔÇÖs parting shot was as follows: ÔÇ£Griffin is a politician in a country which has free speech, it is essential that his views and policies are exposed for what they are. Leeds Student merely gave Griffin enough rope to hang himself.ÔÇØ
If “…the fascists have witnessed a massive collapse in support..” (and I deny the BNP are indeed “fascists”) it’s only because the mass media have refused to offer the electorate a detailed, accurate summary of BNP policies, and instead allowed the likes of totalitarian, undemocratic groups like UAF (where are UAF candidates opposing BNP candidates?) to run riot without reporting their activities. The only true test of the rightness of UAF and the NUS opinion would be to tackle the BNP on directly with a free and open platform debate and allow the audience to decide. That they strenuously go out of their way to avoid this is proof enough that they are unsure of their ground.
Brilliant! so you are in favour of contrasting views in an open platform, sth that was not the case when it was decided to publish an article expressing one view only for no apparent reason. so i’m wondering who is unsure of their ways? if you want to be fair you should suggest that UAF members should be given space in the newspaper to express their views. An interview and an open debate should be your suggestion. how on earth did you draw the conclusion that they “strenuously go out of their way to avoid this?” In the last paragraph they specifically say:
“We thus call on Chris to immediately retract the article, provide the same press window (i.e. front cover and pages 4-5) in either one of the November 12th, 19th or 26th editions of Gair Ryhydd for a counter article and, finally, for the CSU Sabbatical Team, ÔÇÿChange MakersÔÇÖ, Society Members and Students to initiate a debate leading to a referendum on a ÔÇÿNo Platform Policy in Cardiff UniversityÔÇØ
We have been asked to print this letter:
” UNITE AGAINST FASCISM WALES
Open Letter to Chris Williams, Editor Gair Rhydd and CUSU
Head of Student Media
Cardiff University StudentsÔÇÖ Union
Defending ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ ÔÇô Defending Democracy
From time to time it becomes necessary to return to a timeworn, yet crucially important question ÔÇô ÔÇ£How does a democracy defend its self?ÔÇØ In a recent headline piece, Chris Williams (elected Editor, Gair Rhydd) chose to re-release excerpts from an interview with BNP Leader Nick Griffin, originally published in the Leeds Student, despite Leeds StudentsÔÇÖ UnionÔÇÖs ÔÇÿNo PlatformÔÇÖ policy. In his editorial, Chris argues that ÔÇ£As a fan of absolute freedom of speechÔǪat Cardiff I feel that we are lucky to not have a ÔÇÿno platform policyÔÇÖ. Free and open debate is stifled by itÔÇØ.
We believe that Chris has made the wrong ÔÇÿchoiceÔÇÖ. Notwithstanding the distress that his decision will have caused Cardiff Students, we feel that this not about the rights of individual people to say things in a make believe world. Rather, it is about whether we, as a campaigning StudentsÔÇÖ Union and Gair Rhydd, as its instrument are free to come together in order to say that we will not tolerate fascism. Moreover, it begs the crucial question ÔÇ£Will we allow fascists to organise in our lecture theatres, bars and campuses?ÔÇØ
If the threat posed by the BNP appears remote, then that is only because progressive forces, including StudentsÔÇÖ Unions, have united in rigorous opposition during the past five years. In many European states, the far-right is rapidly growing in strength and number ÔÇô in France, the fascist Front National won 18% of the vote, while in Greece Golden Dawn mobs are actively murdering immigrants. As recently as 2007, Griffins party canvassed in excess of nine hundred and forty three thousand votes to take possession of two European Parliamentary seats. Elsewhere, the BNP were posed to take control of local councils, both in London and the North of England (polling in excess of 7% in North and West Wales). Since then, the fascists have witnessed a massive collapse in support.
How was this achieved? By furnishing them with high-visibility newspaper editorials so that everybody could conclude how stupid they were ÔÇô ÔÇ£enough rope with which to hang themselvesÔÇØ? By defending their notional right to argue for the liquidation of trade unions, the voluntary repatriation of ÔÇÿnon-indigenousÔÇÖ UK citizens or suggesting that LGBT folk should be legally forced back into the closet? No! The facts prove that the BNP was successfully tackled through a combination of community engagement, counter demonstrations and conversations with ordinary people on their own doorstep! Most importantly, many organisations, through the freedom of their own democracy, resolved to deny the BNP the legitimacy that a platform constitutes! After all, the likes of Nick Griffin does not seek platforms in order to engage in genuine democratic debate; rather fascistÔÇÖs wants to legitimise their views by appearing in the mainstream and gain space to organise.
Of course, we would all love to live in a more peaceful world where each idea is calmly and rationally evaluated on its own merits. Unfortunately, instead of this, where the BNP organise, the facts prove that anybody who is held to be ÔÇÿa little bit differentÔÇÖ risks a greater likelihood of suffering violence and attack! In 2010, the boot-boys of the English Defence League (EDL) were still marching through the streets of multicultural cities like Cardiff. But, for the moment at least, they have been decisively defeated by a successful community mobilisations; most recently, in Waltham Forest. This is the freedom that we support!
We do not call for a blanket, legal ban or parliamentary proscription. All that we say is that ÔÇ£we support our collective freedom to decide whether organised fascists are welcome in Cardiff University and the freedom of students elsewhere, including Leeds University, to make that same decisionÔÇØ.
For this reason, as a group of CSU Society Committee members, Students and supporters in the wider anti-fascist movement, we feel that in this case, the real issue is not one of free speech. Rather, what is at stake might be best summed up by the following question; ÔÇ£do the individual convictions of an SU newspaper editor trump our collective democracy as freely exercised by a strong, campaigning union?ÔÇØ
We thus call on Chris to immediately retract the article, provide the same press window (i.e. front cover and pages 4-5) in either one of the November 12th, 19th or 26th editions of Gair Ryhydd for a counter article and, finally, for the CSU Sabbatical Team, ÔÇÿChange MakersÔÇÖ, Society Members and Students to initiate a debate leading to a referendum on a ÔÇÿNo Platform Policy in Cardiff UniversityÔÇØ
Signed:
Tomas Evans, President, CUSU Socialist Worker Student Society; Glenn Page, President, CUSU Plaid Cymru Youth Society; Imelda Barlow,LMHR Cardiff Uni; Aaron Kiely, NUS Black Students’ Officer; Cerith Rhys Jones, National Chair, Plaid Cymru Youth; Jamie Woodcock, NUS NEC; Trish Clinton, NUS LGBT Committee (Women’s Place); Mark Campbell, UCU London Met UCU (Chair), UCU National Executive Committee; Peter Hain MP, President UAF Wales; Cllr. Ali Ahmed, Chair UAF Wales; Maggie Simpson, Vice Chair UAF Wales; Jeffrey Hurford, Secretary, UAF Wales; Amarjite Singh, Treasurer,UAF Wales; Julian Goss, Liaison Officer, UAF Wales; Marianne Owens, Vice-chair PCS Wales; Darren Williams, Campaigns Officer PCS Wales (pc); Robert Goddard, Cardiff UAF; Leanne Wood A.M. Leader Plaid Cymru; Mick Antoniw A.M.; Lindsay Whittle A.M.; John McDonell MP; Paul Flynn MP “
How did Nick Griffin “hang himself” (after being “given enough rope”)? His responses and opinions seemed fine to me. As far as Kiely’s view that “..fascism stands for the destruction of democracy and freedom…” is that not what he is doing for Griffins abilty to speak freely? Fact: the BNP is NOT a fascist party (unlike the SWP).