The letter I sent to Bath University urging them not to allow BNP Leader Nick Griffen to Speak on Campus. Thanks to the work of UAF, local and National Trade Unions, NUS and students at Bath the meeting was prevented from going ahead! A prime example of co-ordinated anti-fascist success! Thanks to everyone involved!

Gemma x

Promoting good campus relations: dealing with hate crimes and intolerance

Meetings

Example

In the run up to a local election, a student debating society asks for permission to

hold a meeting in a lecture theatre. A guest speaker from a far -right party is invited to speak. The speaker’s party has a history of incitement to racial hatred and several senior members of the party have been convicted of incitement to racial hatred and other violent offences. None of the staff members has actually attended any previous presentation given by the guest speaker, but they are concerned that he may create a hostile environment for staff or students or may contravene the law.

Issues

1. The HEI is under a general positive duty to promote race equality.
2. The HEI must not discriminate against students or members of staff on the grounds of race, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
3. HEIs should be encouraging the exploration and debate of divergent views and opinions.
4. The guest speaker may have a right to express his views and staff and students may have a right to hear and debate them provided that in doing so there is no threat to public safety, no likelihood of disorder or crime and no interference with the rights and freedoms of others.
5. The HEI has a duty to prevent public disorder on campus.
6. The speaker’s conduct could amount to a public order offence, such as using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress or incitement to racial hatred.
7. As no staff or student member should feel intimidated or harassed on campus, the
8. HEI must decide whether the impact of having a guest speaker from a far-right party would place student and staff members in that position. A proper investigation would

   mean examining the wider impact on campus and community relations of allowing a member of such a party to speak and taking into consideration the duty to promote good race relations between people of different racial backgrounds. A starting point would be to examine the HEI’s equal opportunities policy and other associated policies.

Legally, the HEI should balance all relevant factors when deciding if permission should be granted, including the likelihood that the guest speaker may act in a way which constitutes harassment; that is, making hostile statements about people on the grounds of race, gender, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or sexual orientation or disability which have the purpose or effect of violating their dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

It is also necessary to examine whether the speaker would incite racial hatred, commit some other public order offence and whether the meeting might result in disorder. In coming to a decision on this it could be useful to look into the history of this speaker and/or the organisation they represent, using the criteria contained in the HEI’s equal opportunities policy and other associated policies. Given that the party has a clear history of extreme and intolerant behaviour, it would seem legitimate to exclude the speaker from campus.

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