Saturday, November 24, 2007

Our Oxford Union correspondent has just reported:

AN interesting day in Oxford yesterday! 1,062 (62%) in favour of Irving's right to speak, 640 (38%) against!

The usual suspects were outside the Union leafletting (in contravention of the Union Society's rules) and a young woman, later identified as a Cambridge graduate Jenni Woolf, representing the Union of Jewish Students, was pacing around inside the building making increasingly agitated calls to get out the vote (again in blatant contravention of the Society's rules).

Outside security had to be hired at the Union's expense to protect members and ballot boxes from interference -- something which never happened in my days as a Union officer, and which various members told me is unprecedented.

The activities of those lobbying in favour of free speech were rather more discreet, needless to say entirely within the rules, and more successful.

Due to the extraordinary circumstances of the poll, special rules are in force governing any appeal or accusations of electoral malpractice. Such allegations had to be with the returning officer by noon today.

Lipstadt threw her weight into the votin fray - "No one at the Union seems to support either Irving's or Griffin's views"

BBC report

Oxford Mail: opponents threaten violence on Monday