CYS – We had asked for a copy of the statement, and your comment is the first time we’ve seen it. It’ll be rolled in to the main story shortly.

I find Nick Griffin’s views to be out of step with reality, and morally inept. But I value freedom of speech, and Trinity should be ashamed for caving to the pressure of these protesters. What exactly did they have to lose by allowing him to speak? That he might indoctrinate the entire campus? Come on. Nobody buys into his rhetoric.

Terrible blow for freedom of speech.

Dress it up anyway you want to. The reality is – you chickened out.

Are debates not meant to have opposing opinions? Could have been a great event.

I wouldn’t spit on Nick Griffen if he was on fire but freedom of speech does not just extend to people you agree with. Anyway, the best way to deal with people like him is let him talk so his hateful rhetoric is exposed and he will dig his own political grave.

Surely security concerns should be checked out BEFORE you extend invitations, no? Would you send out 5,000 wedding invitations before checking the capacity of the church?

Pretty poor organisation skills shown. These students will go far…

I find the whole “No Free Speech for Fascists” thing incredibly ironic.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Voltaire.

Well played trinity. Now nick griffins next speech will be how he was denied his freedom of speech. Now he’ll have a reason to give out bout the Irish.

I would let him speak.
Banning fools begets more fools.

It is bad for democracy when society has to suppress free speech for any reason. While the BNP is a vile, petty and ignorant organisation, it is free speech that is the victim. The BNP will cry censorship and win more sympathy. On a bigger note the mob that is society by censoring things we dont like stiffles progress.

Why should security concerns be allowed to trump freedom of speech? Do we not have a Police service and army to defend our rights? It’s not just Griffins right to free speech but the people right to hear his speech. Bloody BS.

If there weren’t people protesting then there wouldn’t be security concerns! I don’t agree with Nick Griffin or his views but I detest not being able to make my own decision on whether I would or would not attend to see him speak, or indeed be told what my view should be.

Why are these people afraid to have an opposite view articulated. Indeed the BNP’s view are so extreme that they would probably do more harm than good to their cause here. Just because the protesters are on the ‘right’ side of the moral divide doesn’t mean its not repression and censorship.

That wasn’t highlighted in the original article – So if it is true, I retract my original statement if it is solely based on security concerns.

I was at the debate last night when the ‘protestors’ stormed the building. They weren’t students or of any principle that I could discern. Instead they looked like members of the EDL or other skinhead group and were shouting things like ‘fascist c*nts*. They used intimidation and aggression to make their point – in short, they were the true fascists. By stopping next week’s Griffin appearance, all the college is doing is turning thugs like these, and they are nothing but thugs, into victors. Police and security should have been provided, the debate should have gone ahead so that members the Phil could be shown in person how horrifically bigoted and ignorant Griffin is.

@Mark where anyone makes hate speech it is up to the law of the land to make a verdict on whether or not anyones speech breaches incitement to hate law. It is never the role of vigilante mobs. The far right doesnt have a monopoly on political despotism.

* If we believe in the freedom of expression – you do or you don’t – then you have to allow things to be said you might not personally agree with.

* If you hear things you do not agree with, you can sit back and do nothing or you can do what you think is right and inform where the other is wrong, possible exposing to the public, any falsehoods or misconceptions.

* If we start stopping people from freedom of expression, some day it might be you or I that is being stopped as such halting methods are abused and turn around to bite us all in the backside!

Could the organisers of the protest not be given access to the debate to rebut the BNP. Why protest outside when it would be more beneficial to participate in debate and not derail it. Its not as if we don’t have our own home grown opposition to immigration anyway. Did the guards just tell them they didn’t have a budget to police the event?

@Mark you mentioned that people are not upset by the blasphemy law. Many are including me. It is one of the main reasons why I am so outspoken about religion. That law needs to be challenged by any right minded civilised person. The only speech that should be denied is that which causes threat of physical harm. An example being it is quite acceptable to criticise religion but not acceptable to deny them their human right to live in safety and have the right to free expression. On the other hand they do not have the right to automatic respect for their beliefs.

A sad day for freedom of expression.

Major Fail for Trinners they obviously caved in the left crowd…

Is it true that Trinity did not allow Catholics study there prior to 1972 ?

“Following careful review of operational and safety issues, the Philosophical Society and the College are now not satisfied that the general safety and well being of staff and students can be guaranteed.”

Translation: The spoiled and pampered leftie loons whom it’s our ideological mission to “gift” to society have been threatening to wreck the gaff, so instead of growing a set for ourselves we caved in, as everyone with a titter of wit knew we would.

Instead of simply stating this baldly and in language the common serf can understand we got a member of the English faculty to carefully craft the aforementioned euphemistic guff. We hope it makes us look all responsible and gown up, as opposed to the tax swag, bubble inhabiting imbeciles we most surely are. After all, exactly how dense do you have to be to imagine, even for a second, that you can invite the likes of Nick Griffin to make an address at Trinners and not ruffle the feathers of our dear little Aoifes and Caoimhes and Bradans? Answer: very dense! Anyway sorry we couldn’t give it to you in plain English but remember they don’t pay us the big bucks for being able to communicate with commoners.

U got that right, JSLeFanu. Probably wearing their Che Chevera Tshirts when drafting it. Very radical !!!!

Seen a program on late last night on the BEEB about Griffin and questions about party funds. Griffin was quick to run from doing an interview after only giving a statement to the Journo. Former BNP members gave eye opening accounts of how funds were raised and used.

I think Mr. Griffin has more questions to answer then a Trinity debate and I think that the BNP is on it’s last legs.

You see the Left think that we’re all sheep and that we’re all easily brainwashed by xenophobic right-wing movements.

They can’t trust us to make up our minds, so they think they can make them up for us!

Attributed to Voltaire.

@ Mark Malone I am with you but sadly it seems we are a minority!

Oh please do you all think that if Nick Griffin got into power he would allow free speech on any level?! He has no respect for the Irish.
It is with a sigh of relief the invite has been withdrawn as this would have allowed this racist party to gain more popularity in tough times. Well done Trinity.

The left wing bullies have won again

There are quoted statements from both the BNP & Phil on why they believe fascists should be invited to Trinity to promote their views.

There is no quote from anyone on the opposing side, such as the group set up to oppose Griffins visit.

Nice balance Gavin.

Congrats to the anti-fascists for yet another victory.

It is abundantly clear that the only Fascist Organizations growing wings in this country are the organizations of which you approve (therefore making them alright). And of course being “approved” it’s perfectly reasonable for them to set limits on what the rest of us get to hear and get to say, isn’t it? If we didn’t have those types of organizations of which you approve who knows what the ordinary Joe on the street might end up believing. Most likely stuff of which you don’t approve, and that certainly can’t be allowed.

And as for the blasphemy law not bothering anyone I think you need to pay a bit more attention, it bothered, and bothers, many people but you were probably too busy starching your uniform to notice.

@Cyril “The only speech that should be denied is that which causes threat of physical harm”.

Im with you 100% in that. Fascist groups like the BNP do cause and threaten to cause physical harm.

Brian O’Reilly from Anti-fascist Action has released the following statement. (These are his words, not mine).

Statement
by Brian O’Reilly – Anti-Fascist Action Fri Oct 14, 2011 15:33

Anti-Fascist Action welcomed the decision today of Trinity’s Philosophical Society to withdraw the invitation to Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP), who was due to speak at a debate entitled ‘This House Believes That Immigration Has Gone Too Far’ next Thursday 20th October.

Far-right organisers like Griffin do not come to speak at universities or elsewhere to engage in polite debate. They use these occasions as a platform to help spread their racist, homophobic, anti-immigrant and anti-Trade Union views. As such, militant anti-fascists will always deny fascists a platform.

A spokeswoman for Trinity said the invite had been withdrawn after staff and students objected to the visit of Griffin, a holocaust denier who has been involved in far-right politics in England since the late 1970s. Last night, 13th October, thirty AFA members and supporters called into the weekly PhilSoc debate, as part of a campaign against Griffin’s invitation. We feel that this proved to be the tipping point for PhilSoc and the college authorities to withdraw the invitation.

This direct action was the culmination of a number of weeks work by AFA which included a mass email campaign, the production of several hundred stickers and the setting up of a Facebook page, entitled ‘No Platform For Nazi Nick Griffin in Dublin’, which attracted over 580 people.

AFA, who have been active in confronting fascism for nearly twenty years, have always adopted the dual strategy of both physical and political opposition when confronting fascism whether Irish or International, group or individual.

Lastly, we would also like to commend the broad based Trinity Against Fascism group who also did important organising against the planned visit, particularly on campus.