'No Platform Policy' for TCD

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Tuesday October 19, 2004 01:09

by Spokesperson - Trinity Students for Freedom

Below is a proposed text for a 'No Platform Policy' for TCD. We will be circulating copies to the TCDSU and amongst the political parties over the next few days and are expecting their full support.

Also, we are confident that those who stood up to the fascists in UCD will support our campaign to deny the extremists the oppurtunity to use TCD as a recruiting ground for hate.

We, the Students of Trinity College Dublin, believing that all in society are equal irrespective of race, creed, physical ability, marital status, sexual orientation, class, or upbringing, condemn with vigour those who seek to foster discrimination and conflict within society.

While we accept the importance of free speech within society, we consider the responsibilities associated within that freedom, and therefore we believe that those who advocate any form of discrimination should be hereby denied a platform to preach their hatred within the confines of Trinity College Dublin.

Organisations, whether based on far left or far right ideologies which promote any of these forms of discrimination should be hereby expelled from TCD, and denied the chance to organise, fundraise or speak within TCD. Furthermore, other organisations or individuals who promote similar ideologies should be similarly denies a platform within our college.

Finally, we call people to remember the history of the 20th century, which saw millions die through the totalitarian regimes of the extreme left and right. We resolve to prevent those ideologies rise phoenix like from the ashes, and therefore will strive to suppress the extremists at all opportunity .