Forum for Fascists

A huge number of students cast their vote last Friday to decide the future of the now redundant 'No Platform' policy

Posters which urged students to ‘Get off your arse and your vote’ appeared to have went down well student voters, as turnout increased by 700 percent on previous referenda.

The motion to end the Union’s 'No Platform' policy, which banned on racist and fascists speaking at the Union, passed by 66 votes. There were also a number of students who remained undecided, as 70 students abstained from voting.

There was relentless campaigning on both sides of the issue. Campus was wall-papered with posters, campaigners canvassed in halls of residence and naturally Facebook groups were set up.

"as students we can only learn effectively if we critically engage with reality”.

Supporters of the lifting ban argued that allowing students to debate with the speakers was an important step in challenging racist views.
Chris Rossdale, who campaigned to end the ban, welcomed the result as a “pragmatic step in fighting the BNP [British National Party]”.

Rossdale, who plans to campaign against the British National Party presence in the local area, argues that students in the, “Warwick bubble” cannot simply wish away the existence of racism.

“In an ideal world”, Rossdale argues, “there would be no racism, but as students we can only learn effectively if we critically engage with reality”.

The motion does not allow racists or fascists unqualified access to campus. Events can be cancelled if they pose in the words of the resolution a “clear and immediate threat to security”. Rossdale believes that the BNP probably would not be allowed onto campus, as its members insist on making public appearances with large numbers of security guards. Furthermore, he doubts whether the BNP would be interested in coming to the university.

The motion, he argues, would involve inviting speakers like David Irving, who denies the existence of the Holocaust, to speak at Warwick; “Friends of mine, who have personally suffered racism, want such people to express these views, however odious. It is a crucial step in challenging these views”. Rossdale also said that the universal condemnation of fascism and racism on campus was “uplifting”.

Shakeel Padamsey, a third-year student who campaigned against lifting the ban, expressed disappointment at the motion's narrow victory. While he admitted that the results were no disaster, he noted that a number of students and staff who had personally experienced racism were against the motion passing.

Padamsey argued that students “must feel that their University provides and environment that is free from intimidation”. He also expressed regret, that despite the high turnout, "A minority of students ended up deciding the issue for the whole student body”.

A second year Russian-speaking student was more severe in her criticism of lifting the ban. She felt that this move spelt bad news for international students and she felt that the “fight against racism at Warwick” would be lost if a single student was convinced by the Fascists and racists.

History she asserted, showed that debate alone did not dissuade extremism; “Fascism was responsible for the deaths of 27 million Soviet citizens and the Holocaust”. Yet despite this horrific track record, Fascism was far from dead as an ideology.

In her opinion, those students who voted to allow fascist speakers to speak at the Union were “very naïve” in assuming that they could defeat fascism simply by arguing with its proponents.

In contrast, second-year student, Ian Moore, was unmoved by the heated campaigning. He failed to see the point of the referendum as he felt that “fascists are not going to bother coming to the University anyway”.