OPINION: Paul Moon's open letter calling for the defence of freedom of speech on university campuses appears, in part, to take a jab at the Auckland University Students' Association (AUSA). After all, we did end up centre stage, representing the myriad of student concerns during the recent incident involving the Auckland University European Students Association (AUESA).

Reading Professor Moon's letter it is clear this issue needs to be revisited calmly and needs to go beyond five-second soundbites.

In my six years as a student at the University of Auckland, I have never experienced an impingement of free speech. Social and moral conflicts, such as our recent debate on white supremacy vs. 'European pride', arise regularly at the university.

However, the student community self regulates. AUSA maintains a constitutional structure that facilitates discussion, and rejects violence.

An issue arises, we debate it, and we settle on an outcome. Whatever happens, students have always rejected hatred and discrimination, and they have always rejected those who resort to violence.

The case of the European Students Association was no different. Why did this attract such significant media attention where other situations didn't? Because of who is in the White House. The threat of white supremacy and the alt-right is the dominant narrative around the world at the moment, meaning attention instantly fixed on a possible eruption of it in New Zealand.

This in turn led to a distortion of what was actually taking place on our campus.

Let's revisit the facts for a moment. Students approached AUSA with concerns about a club that exhibited iconography and rhetoric suggestive of an ultra-nationalist, white supremacist or white pride movement. AUSA voiced concerns to the university that this club was being legitimised during Orientation Week, despite not passing through the student-run affiliation processes.