A protest consisting of around 400 York students took place on East campus on Friday 7th November.
Protesters gathered outside the Law building, where the Reform Society were holding an event.
The society invited guest speaker Jack Anderton, a 24 year old political campaigner whose political views caused controversy amongst protesters.
View this post on Instagram
The event was scheduled for six pm in the Law building, at this time around 400 protesters gathered at Heslington Hall and marched over to the building. A few police officers later arrived to ensure the event took place as intended without disruption.
On the day of the event, the Reform Society posted on their Instagram story, informing paying members that they have been emailed the room and details of the event, instead of sharing these publicly, and that student IDs were required to enter the room.
Via YSAN
Guest speaker Jack Anderton – a King’s College London graduate – believes in meritocracy and a new system for Britain. On his website he says: “I believe our country is heading in the wrong direction… We need an entirely new system and political class.” He is also known for running the TikTok account of Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage and has been controversial through suggesting Britain would have been better off staying neutral during World War Two rather than fighting Nazi Germany.
His visit to York marked his second stop during his “A New Dawn Tour”, where he is visiting several Reform Societies at universities across the UK. His first stop was Durham on 18th October.
View this post on Instagram
The organisers of the event were YSAN (York Student Action Network). YSAN “is a collective of student and staff activists at the University of York fighting for social, climate, economic, and racial justice.” They advertised their protest starting at Heslington Hall on their Instagram a few days before, titled: “Reform Soc invite a Nazi to campus. We say no.”
Friday’s rally comes nine months after previous opposition to a campus visit from Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice.
York Student Union released a post via Instagram on Thursday 6th November, explaining that they could not prevent the event from taking place. They said: “We are required by law to remain politically non-partisan.
“The Freedom of Speech Act means that the University has a legal duty to promote free expression.
“This event has gone through a full risk assessment process under the University and Union’s Joint Code of Practice. That includes implementing measures such as requiring all speakers to agree to follow the University’s Dignity at Work & Study Policy, which outlines required behaviour to ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment.”
Via YSAN
The rally by YSAN was organised in response to this statement from YUSU; allowing the event to go ahead despite concerns. A spokesperson for YSAN said Jack Anderton’s views “have no place on our campus… The Students’ Union may have seen fit to allow this display… to take place but the actual students say no!”
The Student Union released an update today, thanking everyone for ensuring the event went ahead as planned. They added: “This has been a challenging time for many within our community… it’s not always easy to meet everyone’s expectations.
“We may not always get it perfectly right, but we’re proud to be part of a vibrant community that engages openly and thoughtfully with complex and sensitive issues.”
Featured image via YSAN and Google Maps
