National Front racist Le Pen welcome, Holocaust survivor unwelcome at Oxford Union

This video from England says about itself:

“She’s not welcome”: Oxford Union Marine Le Pen protest

6 February 2015

VERSA report from the Marine Le Pen protest outside the Oxford Union. Interviews with key protesters, including the Joint National Secretary of Unite Against Fascism.

By Peter Lazenby in Britain:

Holocaust survivor barred as Le Pen speaks at SU

Saturday 7th February 2015

A HOLOCAUST survivor was barred from an Oxford University Students Union debate in which French fascist Marine Le Pen was allowed to exercise her “freedom of speech” on Thursday night.

Just a child when the nazis occupied France in 1940, Colette Levy, from France, was sent into hiding by her parents, who were later killed in the Holocaust.

Prior to the debate Ms Levy addressed hundreds of students and other anti-fascists demonstrating against French National Front leader Ms Le Pen’s presence at the union debating society.

“I am here because of my history,” she told the crowd.

“My father was killed in a concentration camp, most likely Auschwitz and we know Marine Le Pen represents a fascist movement. It’s shameful.”

Ms Levy “was effectively denied the benefit of freedom of speech that was given to Le Pen,” said Unite Against Fascism (UAF) joint secretary Weyman Bennett.

“A number of demonstrators got into the meeting and disrupted it but were evicted by police. They too were denied the benefit of freedom of speech.”

Ms Le Pen was forced to slink into the building through a rear door as around 400 protesters vociferously made their feelings known.

Mr Bennett said that the National Front had been able to rise in France because the party had been given a platform to spread its racism and fascism.

“In Britain, from the days of Cable Street in the 1930s, anti-fascists have had a tradition of No Platform for fascists,” he added.

By Chris Marsden in Britain:

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen addresses Oxford Union

7 February 2015

The Oxford Union (OU) has become the latest major institution to take its place in the international campaign to legitimise the French neo-fascist party, the National Front (FN).

Party leader Marine Le Pen addressed the OU, Oxford University’s independent debating society, Thursday, despite widespread opposition. The aim of the OU in inviting her to England was to lend academic prestige to Le Pen’s claim to have shed the fascistic legacy of her father’s party—what she calls its “de-demonisation.”

Jean Marie Le Pen is still the party’s “honorary chairman.”

THE Oxford Union admitted it has been “institutionally racist” after it was confronted by a coalition of the university’s equalities societies and local campaigns on Monday night. The prestigious debating society hit the front pages last week when a picture of posters advertising a “Colonial Comeback” cocktail party at the union went viral online: here.