Bristol university bans Free Speech Society from hosting talk on extreme speakers after Islamophobia complaints Muslim students expressed concern the event would stoke tensions in wake of the New Zealand shooting

Bristol University stopped a talk from the author of a report into extremist speakers on its campus after ‘hundreds’ of students prepared to turn out in protest.

The Russell Group institution informed Emma Fox of the cancellation hours before her talk with a student ‘Freedom of Speech society’.

She had been due to discuss a report from the Henry Jackson Society that claimed nine ‘extremists’ spoke at Bristol last year,

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The cancellation came after 500 students across the country signed an open letter accusing Ms Fox of “anti-Muslim hate” in the wake of the terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

Bristol University Islamic Society was planning a ‘200-strong’ protest outside the “deeply troubling” talk, which they claimed had the potential to “radicalise” attendees into Islamophobic violence.

Cancelled event

A spokesperson for the institution said: “In light of the planned protest at this evening’s event, our security services, in consultation with the police, are concerned about their ability to keep attendees, the University community and the public safe.

We are firmly committed to upholding Freedom of Speech while also ensuring events are conducted safely and within the law University of Bristol

“The SU has therefore recommended that the event be postponed. The University agrees,and so the decision to postpone has been communicated to the Freedom of Speech Society.”

Bristol Islamic Society (Brisoc) said it will “be ready to mobilise again” if they feel the suggested opposite speaker fails to represent Muslims fairly.

In their open letter calling for the talk to be postponed, co-authored with 15 other groups, the society raised concerns that the event would attract those with “dangerous prejudices against Muslims” and would “radicalise them into committing violence”

Khadija Meghrawi, from the Bristol University interfaith forum, told i: “When Muslims are feeling so hurt the focus should be on combating that [vulnerability].

“So many people who aren’t normally political in this way came out to say this is not okay. It’s amazing…it really shows that solidarity combats division. We feel more safe and heard and less vulnerable now”.

‘Extremist’ speakers

Ms Fox said she was planning to tell the audience about the claim she makes in her latest extreme speakers report, published in January, that nine alleged extremists had spoken at Bristol University events.

Organisers said the decision to ban Ms Fox was a ‘disheartening’ tale of ‘no-platforming’, amid the ongoing national debate about where the line should be drawn for speakers with controversial views on university campuses.

“Unfortunately, it is a common tactic by those who oppose the free expression of ideas to characterise ideas they disagree with as hateful,” the Freedom of Speech society said.

When Muslims are feeling so hurt the focus should be on combating that [vulnerability] Khadija Meghrawi

“The recent chain of events is a good example of this.”

The Henry Jackson Society accused Bristol of “cynically citing ‘security grounds’” and said it had caved in to “a far-left protest”.

The Henry Jackson Society instead live streamed the talk on Facebook at a secret location, a move labelled “irresponsible and immoral” by Bristol SU.

Ms Fox said on the Facebook talk: “It is particularly ironic that Bristol University are banning a researcher that has exposed Bristol as the tenth worst in the country in terms of extreme speakers, banning me from the free speech society. I mean you can’t really make it up but here we go and here we are.”

Freedom of speech rows

It comes after universities were warned in February that the ‘chilling effects’ of blanket bans on visiting speakers could soon be made illegal.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said at the time: “Free speech is a value integral to the independence and innovation that embodies the higher education sector in the UK, fuelling academic thought and challenging injustice”.

But Brisoc rejected that the dispute was a row over free speech, claiming they offered for the event to go ahead with an opposing speaker representing the Islamic community.

“There must be a balance between the expression of the opinions of an individual and the safety of minority groups,” they said.

The University spokesperson said: “We are firmly committed to upholding Freedom of Speech while also ensuring events are conducted safely and within the law. Our primary aim is to safeguard our students, staff and members of the public whilst ensuring that all voices can be heard.

“We have also requested an independent chairperson is appointed and that the rescheduled event should be fully ticketed and restricted to current University of Bristol students only.”