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Our illusions about the commitment of this university to free speech have rather abruptly been shattered.
—
Trinity
College Dublin cancels planned talk by
David Irving
Students at Trinity College Dublin’s Historical
Society have today informed David
Irving:
On
Friday afternoon we received the following communication from the head of security here in college:
” A visit to College by Mr. Irving
[sic] a number of years ago was cancelled for security and safety reasons.
While I am sure that the Historical
Society and the vast majority of the college community would act in a responsible manner during this proposed visit, it is well known that there are various elements within and outside
College who would use every means at their disposal to disrupt the visit.
I have to take into account the safety of every person on campus (including near to 400
candidates/guests attending a Diploma
Awards ceremony that evening) plus the security and care of College buildings and property.
On these grounds, I regret to say, I would not be in favour of this visit taking place.”
This letter means, in effect, that although College cannot directly ban the event they wish to do so indirectly by refusing to provide security services for it. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent them from doing this, as security is provided for our meetings at the discretion of the
College authorities. We have protested this decision with the utmost vigor, but
College is quite immovable.
Subsequent to this letter, we held over the weekend an extraordinary meeting of the Society Committee at which it was decided that we regretfully are not in a position to proceed with the meeting planned for November 19th if the security of our guest, our committee and our audience cannot be provided for.
I wish to take this opportunity to apologise sincerely to you on the behalf of the Society for this turn of events and especially for the inconvenience no doubt caused to you. Our illusions about the commitment of this university to free speech have rather abruptly been shattered.
More information: Robert
Lynch, Trinity College Dublin
on this website:
April
2001: Irving
to debate with libel QC at Oxford Union
| Oxford
Union invites David Irving to speak
(again) | Academics
threaten to boycott Oxford over Irving
speech [Oxford
Union debate update,
Monday] Australian
press
reports: Oxford href=”https://fpp.co.uk/01/05/JChron110501.html” target=”_blank”>Oxford href=”https://fpp.co.uk/01/05/PA040501c.html” target=”_blank”>threat href=”https://fpp.co.uk/01/05/EvStd100501a.html” target=”_blank”>Editorial: website invites comment on ban on
slaps ban on Irving Atlanta
Journal-Constitution: Debating
society opts to disinvite Holocaust
denier Invitation
to debate was a travesty, huffs Jewish
Chronicle editor (in The Guardian,
London’s deathwish newspaper) Jewish
Chronicle gloats:
bar on Irving applauded |
editorial: Missing
the point New
York: Jewish
Telegraph Agency kvells [Previously:
debate
storm | boycott
threat |
to Oxford Union over Irving
appearance] [Oxford
Student union
leaflet] [Cherwell:
Storm over Irving
Invite] London
Evening Standard: Oxford Union bans
Irving from debate on free speech |
“Error of judgment” Daily
Telegraph: “Free
speech under threat at Oxford
Union” David
Irving’s comment on the inevitable rise
in anti-semitism that these West Bank
methods will cause Major
new
Mr Irving speaking at Oxford Union
See Also