With 2013 coming to a close, Online Comment editors James Bennett and Dave Reynolds attempt to round up the major issues that have got us talking this year.We’ve even let you in on a secret about how we got our jobs in the first place.
SSB Cancelled.
Exeter was rocked by mass media attention surrounding the Safer Sex Ball and The Ram’s Not Safe For Work CCTV footage. This led to the cancellation of the iconic event for future years. The decision was met with a great deal of hostility, with people no longer having an acceptable excuse to dance around in their pants in public. After winning the Sunday Times University of the Year award for 2012, this was not the start to 2013 we were really looking for.
Photo Credit: Exeposé
Cocaine on Campus.
We were in further trouble after it was discovered that students and faculty alike had been dabbling in the only kind of snow that ever comes through Exeter. Everyone was shocked that some young people with lots of disposable income and spare time engage in recreational drug use. What was more exciting was the fact that some of the areas that tested positive for the substance were faculty only.
So we’re paying through the nose just for our faculty to snort it back up theirs? Photo Credit: Foxtongue via Compfightcc
Exeposé accidentally elects two simpletons.
On March 12th we wrote a manifesto for a role we possibly didn’t understand. A day later, we were giving a speech desperately trying to convince a room full of people we’d never met that we were a better option than re-opening nominations. Thankfully, we won. With as much jounalistic experience as the Chuckle Brothers (apologies to them if they have some!), we were unaware of quite how difficult and time-consuming the job would be. Regardless, we were thrown in at the deep end, with our first major job being to cover a national party conference.
Pictured: Less journalistic experience. Much better moustaches. Photo Credit: BBC via The Daily Hawk
UKIP’s Spring Conference.
In what was a very busy and succesful year for UKIP, their Spring Conference at the Great Hall was an opportunity for them to prove themselves as a serious force in British politics. What entailed was a day of old white people laughing themselves silly at xenophobic humour, Bulgarian extremists and Nigel Farage’ boundless wit. By the afternoon, most of the audience had nodded off, and we’d gone home.
With people trying to their best to put off revision, an almighty ‘debate’ took place on Facebook surrounding whether or not The Sun should be removed from guild outlets. It all got a bit heated, with the arguments tailing away from substance to more personal and unnecessary attacks. When it came to the vote, the turnout was very impressive for University election standards, pulling in well over 2000 votes.
“From now on, page 3 will consist entirely of stories about adorable rescued animals.” Photo Credit: AndyRobertsPhotos via Compfightcc
Blurred Lines.
No. No more. This ends now. Photo Credit: N3sta via Giphy
E-E-EDL
The run up to their national demonstration saw tensions rise in Exeter as counter demonstrations were organised and fears of a presence on campus drove many to exclaim, “Ooh-er!” and, “Blimey”. The day was largely made up of incoherent ranting and marching about the streets of Exeter with seemingly no real message or purpose. Quite frankly, we were all quite relieved when they all went back home. A shout out to the Exeter Together campaign, which celebrated all things good about Exeter throughout the morning.
We never met her, but apparently Sharon Lawes did something to piss these guys off. Image Credits: Niklas Rahmel
So it’s been quite an eventful year. Here’s to next year. We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage throughout the term on all of the major events. Sorry if you haven’t. You’ve only got to put up with us until March and then there will be some new people! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
James Bennett and Dave Reynolds, Online Comment Editors
News Editor Owen Keating gives his thoughts on the recent EDL march.
Exeter’s thriving city centre is often full of shoppers looking for the ideal bargain. However, on Saturday 16 November, the city was full of another kind of pedestrian: the English Defence League were holding their national demonstration in Exeter, and a counter-march, organised by Exeter Together, was opposing them.
“While that morning’s Exeter Together march was a positive occasion of diversity and disco, we were all expecting something slightly different from the EDL’s march. We weren’t wrong.” Photo Credits: Niklas Rahmel
The week before the marches was filled with fervent activity on social media and in the local press, as well as, for those (including myself) who would be covering the march for Exeposé, no small amount of safety briefings.
On the day itself, my role involved covering the EDL demonstration. While that morning’s Exeter Together march was a positive occasion of diversity and disco, we were all expecting something slightly different from the EDL’s march. We weren’t wrong.
The Locomotive Inn, where the EDL met, was not only heavily policed, but also the venue for an incident that has already earned national attention. Men in burqas pretended to pray on the street, causing widespread outrage across the street, where a number of observers had gathered. Police Liaison officers were involved, angry onlookers were moved on, and the EDL kept slurping pints and singing hackneyed ex-football chants about being English until they eventually die. Obviously.
Pretty soon after this, the actual march began. Between 225 and 300 EDL supporters crowded into one tightly packed group, while policemen riding horses and journalists wielding Twitter accounts did their utmost to not get in each other’s way. I moved in front of the march with our photographer, who jumped onto ledges and inbetween hi-vis police to get some stunning photos along the route.
The atmosphere wasn’t so much threatening as just surreally aggressive. Men with megaphones claimed back the country, as the previously mentioned police horses did a very good job of keeping the march to just the one, designated route. In the interest of fairness, I will say that if the EDL, as they claim, do actually own the streets, it was very nice of them to let the police have this particular one for the afternoon, as swathes of law enforcers were very effective in controlling the march at this point.
On Queen Street, the atmosphere changed: a small but vocal crowd lined the streets, and the constant EDL chants were punctuated by minor scuffles and bouts of prolonged, impressive swearing.
Devon and Cornwall Police described the marches as “peaceful”: while this is certainly true in that there were no major flashpoints, the EDL’s turning into their rally point at Northernhay Gardens left little doubt as to the vitriol surrounding their march. Anti-fascist protestors hurled abuse, and only a particularly determined wall of police personnel stopped the two sides from clashing.
Some journalists, including myself, another News Editor, and our photographer got behind the cordon and inside the EDL’s final rally. The atmosphere changed significantly here, as a stall appeared out of nowhere to sell t-shirts, and marchers milled around chatting as if they were at a garden party, except with more explicitly fearful prejudice towards other people.
While our journalistic presence on the march had been tolerated, if not welcomed (the EDL do NOT like cameras, or Twitter, or pretty much anything that you can’t chant, apparently), it soon became clear that our presence at the rally was causing some tension. Along with major news organisations, we were threatened with physical violence if we didn’t leave immediately. As the situation escalated, we were advised by the police to move away from the scene, before the EDL decided to move us away themselves.
As we walked back towards our base in the centre of town, we reflected on what had been an exciting afternoon. While the EDL claimed that Exeter had made them feel welcome, all I saw was disbelief at the bigotry inherent within their views. Having both followed the march, and indeed talked to demonstrators, I can say that the overriding emotion I’d associate with the EDL was fear, be it fear of the other, fear of equality, or even just fear of a student journalist with a Twitter account.
Following the EDL’s recent march in Exeter, Columnist William Cafferky discusses the threat that the EDL pose.
The recent rise of right-wing fanaticism is hardly a phenomenon exclusive to the UK. Notably in Greece, The Netherlands, Norway and Austria right-wing parties have been gaining as much as twenty per cent of votes at national elections. Following the recent, somewhat anti-climactic, showing from the EDL in Exeter we perhaps need to ask ourselves what threat such groups presents to our societal values.
As a group, the EDL vehemently oppose comparison between themselves, and fascist or neo-nazi organisations. Unfortunately for them, they ironically fall victim to a level of generalisation that they preserve for the Islamic community. Whilst a group is given a direction by a hierarchy, it is their support that characterises them as a movement. The EDL have little control over their support base; a factor that led to the intriguing departure of infamous leader Tommy Robinson earlier this year. His claim that the group no longer seemed productive is perhaps echoed in the poorly attended street demonstration in Exeter earlier this month.
EDL in Exeter Image Credits: Niklas Rahmel
The misery for the EDL doesn’t stop with its support base however. Even the attempted coherence of its hierarchy is easily dismantled. In a recent interview, the current leader – Tim Ablitt – was insistent that he wished to see an increase in the level of Muslims joining his anti-Islamist group. He stated, without a hint of irony, “It’s not Muslims who are the problem, it’s the book they follow.” This to me, seems about as logical as claiming you don’t have an issue with a jam sandwich, just everything that makes it a jam sandwich, like the bread…and the jam.
Nonetheless, the publication of their antics is still commonplace amongst news outlets. Indeed, their portrayal in the media is something the group’s leaders have sought to decry. Once again, however, the Achilles heal of the EDL is their easily mocked supporters. It’s perhaps the only encouraging element of their demonstrations that the ignorance of the protestors provides easy game for preying comics. Whether it is the non-existent grammar in their “support are troops” signs; the incoherent drunken gargles directed at the mystical “Muslamic” community; or the slightly bemusing fear of the imposition of “Iraqi law”. One could perhaps generate an entire mythology surrounding EDL conspiracy, but perhaps that’s for the Internet to ponder. Furthermore, Twitter delivered a masterstroke when EDF Energy had to issue several responses to anxious followers accusing them of Islamophobic propaganda. The ‘English Disco Lovers’, conceived as a reactionary movement to the EDL, in fact has more twice the amount of ‘likes’ on Facebook, so should we really have cause to worry when such groups are subject to consistent and almost universal ridicule?
I have frequently asked myself what I feel the best course of action in countering groups like the EDL is. I find myself returning to the charming video of a confused EDL supporter berating a bewildered reporter on the various nuances and charms of “Muslamics” and their “Iraqi law”. As is often the case with the internet, this particular interview received it’s very own auto-tuned remix entitled “Muslamic Ray Guns – The EDL Anthem”. Often the best remedy to a ridiculous problem is to expose it as just that, ridiculous. That is not to dismiss the real fear amongst some, who see the growth of Islamaphobia as a genuine threat, but more to highlight the vast consensus; that it’s present is neither welcome nor rational.
Whilst as a country, the UK can count itself amongst the most tolerant and diverse nations in the world; it still faces problems with prejudice. Whilst letting the idiocy of prejudice speak for it’s barmy self goes part of the way to marginalising the immediate threat of Islamophobia, it doesn’t quite remedy its origins. Indeed, once again, the answer can be found in education. Xenophobia is ultimately the product of a vicious cocktail of ignorance and fear. Whilst laughter may be the best medicine to combat the archetypal thuggish fanatic, to the next generation we have to provide the cultural understanding and subsequent tolerance to guard against the growth of prejudice.
Chris Filsellexplains why he thinks your polite ignorance would probably have done more to damage their credibility than shouting matches ever could have.
What is it about the English Defence League that makes them such a hot topic of conversation? Even the most politically illiterate amongst us have an opinion on the organisation, even if it is just some vague comment about how they’re ‘a bit racist.’ For many people, the EDL are despicable, threatening and downright disturbing, showcasing the worst aspects of ignorance and bigotry.
If an Exeter student was found to have the vaguest link to the organisation, even the fanciest of gilet’s would not prevent them from being ostracized by our community. For me, however, the EDL are an essentially pathetic group and therefore provide us with a great deal of entertainment. This is one of the reasons why I did not participate in the Exeter Together counter-demonstration on Saturday.
“…I see little point in the protesting: if you want the EDL to be exposed as ‘racist’ or ‘ignorant’ let them do the talking, it will be a lot more effective than any crudely made placard ever could be. “ Photo Credit: Niklas Rahmel
Now don’t get me wrong, I find the majority of the English Defence League’s political views abhorrent. Nonetheless, I can’t help but feel like there might have been something more worthwhile to do last Saturday than protest against a group who are most famous for a viral video concerning the spread of “Iraqi Law in London.”
For those of you who have not seen it, a quick YouTube search for ‘muslamic ray guns’ will show you a man in a tracksuit spouting incoherently about the grave threat that Islam poses to the entirety of the world. Clearly, this man is bigoted but, crucially, his views are so ridiculous that we are unable to take him seriously; in speaking his mind, he has compromised his organisation.
Therefore, I see little point in the protesting: if you want the EDL to be exposed as ‘racist’ or ‘ignorant’ let them do the talking, it will be a lot more effective than any crudely made placard ever could be.
Protesting could, in fact, have done more harm than good. For one, it immediately legitimises the supposed ‘threat’ that the EDL poses, when we should really be attempting to make them appear irrelevant. The organisation should be considered on a similar level to the various drunkards ranting in the streets at night, not as a serious political organisation. In protesting, you are transforming a demonstration that could easily be ignored into an ‘event’, creating more exposure for the English Defence League, which can only be a bad thing.
There is also the question of whether protesting could actually generate some form of sympathy for the organisation. This may seem like a stupid statement: how could anyone in their right mind possibly feel sorry for the EDL? But if we cast our minds back to 2009, the year in which BNP leader Nick Griffin appeared on BBC’s Question Time, we can see how other supposed ‘bigots’ were able to make themselves appear hard done-by. Whilst some may argue that Griffin’s appearance only strengthened his negative public image, in actuality, it was something of a Succès de scandale, with 243 of the 416 complaints concerned with the BBC’s supposed bias.
This does not mean that I am directly comparing an Exeter EDL march with a national television event; the amount of exposure generated by a television appearance is obviously greater than that of a protest. But it is important to recognise that by going into town and shouting at the EDL, you aren’t doing anything other than giving them more attention and possibly, if the abuse hurled is almost equally angry, winning them a few more supporters.
Perhaps more importantly, we should question whether a counter-demonstration actually achieved anything? Protesting was not exactly going to ‘convert’ existing EDL supporters to our side: it was only going to strengthen their views as they are presented with something to ‘fight against.’ Similarly, since the general consensus on the English Defence League appears to be that they are ‘bigots’, it seems unlikely that we will be saying anything that has not already been said a thousand times over. Sorry to be so cynical, but I can’t help but wonder whether this counter-demonstration was only set up in order to allow those who attend to say that they went.
But I’ll move away from this tangent, because I actually have a serious point to make. If you really do oppose the EDL that much, then you had every right to march in town on Saturday. But rather than joining the Exeter Together demonstration, it might have been more effective to try walking past the EDL, listening to what they were saying and walking on. Your polite ignorance would probably have done more to damage their credibility than shouting matches ever could have.
Chris Filsell
Did you go out and march against the EDL? Is ignoring them the most effective response? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter@CommentExepose.
Liam Monsell provides a fantastic account of Saturday’s events including interviews with members of the EDL and Exeter Together.
The English Defence League’s decision to embark on a peaceful protest in Exeter has not only tested the nature of the city’s multicultural values, but has also proved to highlight the national disparity between political and social sects.
Labelling themselves as a “Human rights group opposed to militant Islam,” the EDL is inherently nationalist, with fascistic principles present in their reactive hostility to Islam and multiculturalism. Despite this, they maintain that they are a peaceful human rights group opposed only to militant Muslims.
“This doesn’t justify their behaviour, but it highlights that there are issues on both sides that need to be addressed.” Photo Credit: Niklas Rahmel
The demonstration which took place on Saturday 16th November was peaceful to the extent that no major fights broke out, but by no means was it a pleasant display on their part. This is nothing new. The group regularly tour around the country causing similar instances of disorder and chaos. Unfortunately their conduct has gained them a reputation that means they rarely get the opportunity to express the deepest of their grievances.
This is a sympathy I have toward the EDL. As much as I disagree with their ideology, I believe they should have the right to express their views in the same manner everyone else does. What many of them lack however is the capacity to do so respectably, but I understand that more often than not they get provoked into behaving barbarically before they even get the opportunity. This doesn’t justify their behaviour, but it highlights that there are issues on both sides that need to be addressed.
What was enlightening about Saturday’s demonstration was Exeter’s reaction. I spent many hours in Bedford Square on Saturday and witnessed a very impressive turnout of over 1000 locals of many ages, backgrounds and political persuasions. College and University students also gathered at the scene, asserting their desire to stand for equality, and to prevent the perversion of the core qualities of their multicultural Exeter. There was a real sense of togetherness. The event was organised by the recently established Exeter Together, along with Unite Against Fascism and the English Disco Lovers, with appearances from the Anti-Nazi league and academics from Exeter University’s centre of Arab and Islamic studies.
The message of protest against the EDL’s presence was strong, although the atmosphere was generally calm and peaceful. Volunteers read poetry, sang songs and offered messages of love, harmony and unity. Speaking to many people attending the demonstration, many of which were students, there was an abundant claim that the nature of Exeter’s diversity and multiculturalism made it a community that had no need for the EDL’s presence, whose perceived zeal in the realms of “hateful xenophobic hooliganism” is claimed to only strengthen the city’s stance against intolerance rather than fragment it.
With all the smiles (despite the slowly worsening weather,) music and conversation, you could have almost found yourself forgetting about the infamous group that catalysed Saturday’s demonstration in the first place. A swift walk down Queen Street revealed the alternative approach to political confrontation. Cooped up within the proximity of Northernhay gardens, and indeed a barrier of policemen, stood the Defence League in their hundreds.
“Despite the leader’s peaceful claims, there was no warmth, and there was no peace, only the violent onslaught of chants and a sea of covered faces and British flags.” Photo Credit: Niklas Rahmel
Despite the leader’s peaceful claims, there was no warmth, and there was no peace, only the violent onslaught of chants and a sea of covered faces and British flags. What may indeed have started as a peaceful demonstration was certainly beginning to sour at an alarming rate.
Behind me, the story wasn’t much better. Unjustly praising themselves with being on the moral high ground, left-wing extremists and anarchists similarly found themselves hypocritically denouncing the hateful doctrine of the EDL with aggressive chants and threats of violence from behind a wall of high visibility jackets. Chants of “Off our streets, Nazi scum!” were met with the roar of “E-E-E-D-L!” and “You’re not English anymore!”
If you walked into the scenario with no contextual knowledge, you wouldn’t be able to tell who the demonstration was based around. The heavy presence of police prevented any major conflict from spiralling out of control, although everyone could tell that it would only take one spark to set the whole situation alight.
It was a fascinating, yet brutally eye-opening experience. Like many others, I had only properly seen the EDL on the TV, and even though their behaviour on the news was undoubtedly much worse than the events of Saturday, it still came as shock. Before, I withheld some opinions of the group on the grounds of not wanting to generalise, and the absence of sufficient exposure to their subjects. After Saturday, although still not in a position to totally generalise, I can see that there is an indisputable lack of consistency between what the party’s leaders claim to stand for, and how the followers of the group execute their protest. There also exists a flaw in how students like me view the EDL. Several members and sympathisers told me how they resented that fact that all members are generalised as “mindless Neanderthal thugs,” and that such opinions are invalid as students are “separated from what’s real, only reading about it in books and not experiencing it on the street.”
Much of what was said is true to a certain extent. It may be the lack of information and exposure to the sources of discontent on both sides that keeps this conflict spinning in perpetual motion, and perhaps the reduction of these complex topics into rather objective, political and therefore teachable principles drains them of the quality that enables us to understand them properly. This may be where the university comes in.
“Such matters, regardless of how important and interesting, are dangerous, and an onslaught of young impressionable students ardent for some desperate political glory can only threaten to dampen the dignity of any notion of tolerance that exists in our society.” Photo Credit: Niklas Rahmel
The University was right to request as little association with the event as possible, and as far as I am aware, no student responded to the League’s presence in a manner that undermined its credibility. Such matters, regardless of how important and interesting, are dangerous, and an onslaught of young impressionable students ardent for some desperate political glory can only threaten to dampen the dignity of any notion of tolerance that exists in our society. On a local level, the University undoubtedly and justly wants to protect its name.
To appropriately combat these issues, an element of grace and cooperation should be maintained, and whilst the University was right to remain distant from the issue, appropriate steps should be made to at least foster a notion of political tolerance in young students that may prevent conflict that devalues what the institution promotes. Saturday’s demonstration was a pragmatic way to promote such a mentality, displaying the ability for many different groups to unite in a gathering that preaches what really defines Britain as a modern nation. If Exeter wants to protect its status of vibrant diversity, it should keep walking in the direction suggested by the events of the 16th.
The English Defence League (EDL) marched through Exeter this afternoon, on the same day as a counter-march organised by Exeter Together reportedly attracted in excess of 1,000 attendees.
Image credit: Niklas Rahmel
Between 225 and 300 people took to the streets of Exeter in support of the far-right group’s national demonstration, with the heavily policed protest route travelling down New North Road and Queen Street before a rally at Northernhay Gardens.
The Exeter Together rally started in Belmont Park at 10:30 a.m., before proceeding down Sidwell Street and into Bedford Square, where many people stayed for several hours for live music and speeches.
Two EDL protesters were controversially seen wearing burqas before and during this afternoon’s demonstration. As the EDL demonstrators prepared to leave their meeting point at a pub in a city centre at around 1.15pm, the two individuals were seen to pretend to pray in the middle of the road while wearing the traditional Islamic dress.
Other nearby demo attendees carried a large sign stating, “BAN THE BURKA”. Despite the EDL reporting earlier in the day that a local Muslim woman would be joining them on the march, no such person was sighted by Exeposé reporters.
Image credit: Niklas Rahmel
The protest was generally peaceful, although there were a few flashpoints along the route, as anti-EDL bystanders shouting at the protest were met with EDL demonstrators trying to breach the police line. Exeposé News reporters observed scuffles which required police intervention, particularly as the march culminated with the entrance into Northernhay Gardens. At least one anti-EDL protester was pulled away by police as he tried to intercept the march.
According to Express and Echo, 30 year old man is in custody for being found in possession of an offensive weapon on Queen Street this afternoon and two others were separately arrested on alcohol related offences. It is also reported that 400 police officers were on the streets in Exeter today, including a mounted police unit.
Reporters were later removed from the site of the Northernhay Gardens rally to alleviate perceived “tension” amongst the EDL ranks. Exeposé’s photographer was pushed and verbally abused by EDL demonstrators who grew increasingly antagonistic as he took photos. The police intervened and the situation was diffused.
Devon and Cornwall Police reported via Twitter that the day had been “successful”.
Several Twitter users reacted to the march, saying:
Today just showed how vile and ignorant the EDL are, but also that they are a minority. #EDLMarch
#EDL you showed us (Exeter) what you are today, a minority group with troublesome views – #exetertogether you demonstrated what we are! — Aran Richardson (@AranRichardson) November 16, 2013
Many people also commented on some EDL members wearing burqas, saying:
Disgusting. @Exepose is reporting that EDL thugs are wearing burkas during their march in Exeter today.
City Council leader Pete Edwards, who was at the front of the Exeter Together march, said: “Today has been a great day for Exeter. Over 1,000 people have turned out to stand together against fascism and racism. It’s good stuff for Exeter and all its citizens.”
Owen Keating, News Editor
Additional reporting by Olivia Luder, Online Editor and Meg Drewett, Editor
With the EDL marching in the city on Saturday, Bryan Toh argues that we should just ignore them and not provide them with fuel for future protests.
“I say don’t give the EDL what it wants; instead, just ignore them. Some might call it meek, but I believe it is simply the more efficient way to deal with such groups.” Photo Credit: West Midlands Police via Compfightcc
Despite the good intentions of Exeter Together and my disdain for the EDL’s anti-Islamic sentiment, I am unsure if holding a march against the EDL’s own is the most productive way to express opposition to the controversial group. Religion can polarise opinion, but in a multicultural, modern and tolerant society like the United Kingdom, it is rare to hear extremist views like the EDL’s on these issues.
To me, organising a march against them gives them the attention they crave. It draws the limelight onto them, and gives them a platform to shout out their message of hate, which would otherwise be nothing but a whisper. This not only risks putting more people in distress, but also increases the chances of someone hearing, and getting misled by the EDL’s message.
As with any two opposing protests, tensions will run high. Should any sort of violence erupt between the EDL and Exeter Together, it will again just be playing into the EDL’s hands and providing them with fodder for future protests. Additionally, a counter-demonstration is unlikely to deter a group as convinced of its message as the EDL. They will most likely proceed as planned, trumpeting their right to do so under the law.
Don’t give the EDL what it wants; instead, just ignore them. Some might call it meek, but I believe it is simply the most efficient way to deal with such groups. By showing via our everyday actions that Exeter is a community that celebrates diversity, and ignoring the noise made by the EDL, we send a strong message that their skewed beliefs have no place among us. Should they decide to push certain boundaries in seeking attention, I have faith that the local authorities will react appropriately.
Having been privileged enough to grow up in a culturally inclusive country like Singapore, and then study in another, I am all for religious equality and so give Exeter Together my full backing. I just feel that giving the EDL the cold shoulder would be an easier and more effective approach.
With the EDL coming to town on Saturday, Joshua Mines argues in favour of the Exeter Together demonstration.
I doubt there will be many reading this who need much persuading about the reasons why we should disagree with the EDL; an organisation known for aggressive xenophobia and racism. A party, so radical, that their own founder Tommy Robinson recently resigned because, “He recognised the dangers of far right extremism”. The EDL, even for him, had gone too far.
I believe in protest, and I believe in diversity as an integral part of modern Britain. “We all have a voice, and on the 16 November we have the chance to shout to the country, to Exeter, and to ourselves, what we believe in.” Photo Credit: David Holt London via Compfightcc
The unfortunate fact of democracy is that they are still well within their rights to protest peacefully, which they intend to put into practice soon. However, it’s also a right we own and one that I feel every student, or more broadly every rationally minded person, should uphold.
Protest puts into action the ideas that are on everyone’s mind, and gives weight to the words that are on everyone’s lips behind closed doors. An opportunity for the EDL to take to the streets and get red in the face is equally an opportunity for everyone else to show the EDL up for what they are: a minority, a small amount of closed-minded, angry people venting their blaze of rage and bullying a section of society they see as lesser than themselves. Showing up in number will show the country and any far-right sympathisers that the majority of of Exeter, the University and the town disagrees with this venomous way of thinking and that we will stand up for the multinational heritage that has existed for years and continues to thrive in our city.
Though counter-protest is more likely to draw the eye to Exeter, and thus to the EDL’s activities, this is an opportunity we should embrace. More attention again offers us a chance to show that in Exeter, acceptance and diversity will always prevail over hate and discrimination.
What I’m peddling may sound cheesy, and in a time when UKIP boast higher numbers in the opinion polls than the Liberal Democrats it may sound as if I’m undermining the growth of far right ideas in this tough economic climate. Regardless of these conditions, morals and values stay the same and we should strive to uphold them.
I believe in protest, and I believe in diversity as an integral part of modern Britain. We all have a voice, and on Saturday we have the chance to shout to the country, to Exeter, and to ourselves, what we believe in.
Joshua Mines
Is counter marching the best option? Wouldn’t it be better just to ignore the EDL? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter @CommentExepose.
The University of Exeter have declined to confirm if there will be any additional security on campus this Saturday 16 November, when the English Defence League (EDL) hold their national demonstration in Exeter. The University have, however, emailed all students to tell them that the march is taking place.
When contacted by Exeposé regarding security on campus this weekend, the University did not confirm if there would be any additional staff on campus, or if protestors would be allowed into any buildings on campus. The University has been directly cited by the EDL as a primary reason for their national demonstration being held in Exeter.
In an article on their website titled “Why we are going to Exeter”, the EDL cite the University’s longstanding interest in the study of Islamophobia as a key reason for Exeter being chosen as the location for the march. In addition, the far-right group mention the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies and the funding it offers for PhDs in Islamic Studies, as well as the Forum, which was in part funded by a £5 million donation from Muhammed al-Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah, an emirate which the EDL calls: “one of the most conservative[…]in the United Arab Emirates”.
The University responded to these accusations, saying: “The Arab and Islamic world is a subject of academic study at the University in the same way as Physics, History, French or English”.
“It doesn’t follow that just because we have an academic specialism that the University is sympathetic to any particular cause.
“Yes, we have accepted donations from people and institutions in the Middle East for the pursuance of research or teaching, as we have from the UK, the US and Europe. All large donations are ethically checked before they are received.
“Saudi Arabia is the UK’s biggest trading partner in the Middle East and designated a ‘High Growth Market’ by UKTI, as is the Emirates, of which Sharjah is a part.
“We are not expecting the march to come near the University”.
Hannah Barton, Guild President, also added: “The University of Exeter provides a wealth of exciting opportunities to study various cultures, societies and religions – and the study of the Middle East is no exception.
“There is great value in studying all cultures and the Students’ Guild is proud that our University offers such a diverse programme of courses. We continue to celebrate diversity amongst our students and the community.
“The city of Exeter, the University and the Students’ Guild enjoy a unique community feel and this is in part due to our multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-faith population”.
The EDL have announced that they are marching through Exeter on the afternoon of Saturday 16 November. There will also be a number of protests against the EDL’s presence in the city, as the Exeter Together group are leading a protest which starts in Belmont Park at 10.30am, culminating with a rally at Bedford Square at 12pm. Several groups, including the English Disco Lovers, and United Against Fascism (UAF) are also expected to contribute to this counter-march.
The EDL march route has not yet been confirmed, as part of a police strategy to avoid flashpoints between marches.
This is not the first time that the EDL have protested in Exeter. In June of this year, the Exeter division of the EDL organised a vigil in memory of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was brutally murdered in May. However, no-one attended the vigil. A previous EDL march in Exeter, organised as part of a campaign to “Ban the Burqa”, was also sparsely attended; only 15 people eventually turned up, in contrast to approximately 300 people who attended a celebration of diversity in the city centre on the same day.
Turnout for the national demonstration is expected to be significantly higher than previous EDL events in Exeter; at the time of going to press, the Facebook event for the demonstration has over 300 people “attending”.
Clara Plackett, a third year English student, told Exeposé: “Because of the relatively large numbers potentially involved in both the demonstration and the march opposing it, I would like to know what measures the University will put in place to ensure student safety in the event of any disturbances. As it is, I’ll be working at home on the 16th, and not on campus”.
Hannah Barton, Guild President, stated: “We are working closely with the University and Police to ensure that the safety of students remains a constant consideration throughout planning for the day. The Guild is confident that they will work to ensure the safety of all students in the City centre and on campus, however we would encourage all students to consider the impact that the march may have on their plans for the weekend”.
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