HUNDREDS of protesters are gearing up to give 'fascist' French politician Marion Maréchal-Le Pen a frosty welcome at the Oxford Union tomorrow.
The demonstration comes as more than 150 individuals and organisations – including Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds – signed an open letter calling on the Union to revoke its invite to Ms Marechal-Le Pen.
The open letter, signed by anti-racist campaigns, local councillors, Oxford University academics students and others, suggests that the invite 'will give confidence to racists and the far right at a time when racist attacks and fascist activity is growingin the UK'.
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The signatories say they are 'appalled' that the Union has 'once again shown its willingness to invite extreme right-wing racist politicians to speak.'
It labels Ms Marechal-Le Pen 'a vicious Islamophobe' and says the Union has a 'disgraceful history of inviting leading figures from the far-right ', continuing: "Disgracefully, the Oxford Union has a history of inviting leading figures from the far-right .
"The invitation is especially disgusting since it is scheduled during the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day".
The Oxford Union did not respond to a request for comment.
Ms Marechal-Le Pen, 29, is due to speak at 5pm. However, when Steve Bannon spoke at the Union last year, the event was delayed as around 1,000 protesters blocked the entry to the Union building.
READ AGAIN: Huge protest blocks streets near Oxford Union in Bannon backlash
Protesters are gathering at 3pm on St Michael's Street tomorrow.
The letter in full:
'No to the Oxford Union legitimising racism and fascism - cancel the invitation to French Nazi Marion Maréchal Le Pen'
Oxford Stand Up To Racism is appalled that the Oxford Union has once again shown its willingness to invite extreme right-wing racist politicians to speak. French Nazi Marion Maréchal Le Pen, former National Assembly member for the fascist National Front (now National Rally) is due to speak at the Oxford Union on Tuesday 22nd January.
The invitation to Marion Le Pen is especially disgusting since it is scheduled during the run up to Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January. The National Rally party in France is well-known for its extreme anti-Semitism. Founding member and beloved grandfather of Marion Maréchal, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has stated on many occasions that the Holocaust was just an insignificant detail of the Second World War.
Like her aunt Marine, who leads National Rally, Marion Maréchal is a vicious Islamophobe. She believes that Muslims can only be regarded as French if they follow a Christian culture. She once stated that the majority of mainstream Muslims in France supported jihadists. She is believed to be politically close to her Nazi grandfather.
Disgracefully, the Oxford Union has a history of inviting leading figures from the far-right - Steve Bannon, Marine Le Pen, Tommy Robinson have all been given a platform in recent years. This is incredibly dangerous at a time when the far-right are on the rise. The fascist thugs around Tommy Robinson in Britain can only take confidence and legitimacy from this. We have already seen a growth in anti-Muslim sentiment that fascist groups have organised around. This leads directly to violent attacks. The monitoring group 'Tell Mama' noted a surge in Islamophobic attacks, with 1,201 in 2017, a rise of 26% on the year before. Of the victims six out of 10 were women.
We call on the Oxford Union to cancel the invitation to Le Pen to speak.
Signed:
Oxford Stand Up To Racism
Oxford Unite Against Fascism
Oxford Love Music Hate Racism
Oxfordshire UNISON Health branch
Oxford refugee Solidarity
Anneliese Dodds MP Oxford East
Sajjad Malik Deputy Mayor Oxford City
Cllr John Tanner Oxford City Council
Martyn Rush Labour Party (Cllr)
Councillor Tom Hayes Oxford City Council's Executive Board Member for a Safer and Greener Environment
Jane Caplan Emeritus professor of European history, Oxford University
Professor John Parrington University of Oxford/ Worcester College/Associate Professor/Tutorial Fellow and College Dean
Prof. David Smith Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology
Peter Somogyi, Professor, FRS Department of Pharmacology, Oxford University
Rabyah Khan Co-Chair, Oxford & District Labour Party
Ann Black Secretary, Oxford & District Labour Party
Geoff Taylor Secretary, Kidlington & Yarnton Branch Labour Party
Gwynne Reddick Secretary - Wantage CLP
Cathy Augustine Women's Officer, Wantage Labour Party
Steve Leniec Chair Faringdon Labour Party
Veronica Treacher Henley Constituency Labour Party
Nita Sanghera UCU Vice President
Dr Peter Dwyer Ruskin College UCU Executive
Kate Douglas DWP PCS South East Regional Secretary
Keith Hamilton CWU South Central Political Officer
Michelle Codrington-Rogers Oxfordshire NASUWT Federation Secretary
Sasha Simic Shop Steward USDAW C133 Central Books branch
Gordon White President Northamptonshire National Education Union
Dr Michael Szpakowski UCU branch chair, Writtle University College
Dr Anne Alexander University of Cambridge
Dr Julie Hearn UCU Equality Officer, Lancaster University
Lynne Chamberlain Secretary, Greenwich and Bexley TUC
Cherry Mosteshar co-chair Oxford Momentum Oxford
Reema Salha Fadda St Antony’s College, DPhil candidate
Bekki Tordoff Brasenose College
Arthur Duhé Balliol College
Joel Casey St Anne's College
Nicholas Carverhill St. John's College
Matthew Peters St. Catherine's College
Maureen Schoenfeld University of Oxford
Darci Sprengel University of Oxford
Akeel Shah Student at Oxford Brookes University
Olayinka Makinwa Linacre college
Nupur Patel Lincoln College
Emma Jones Oxford alumna (2003-6)
Sam Maynard DPhil Student in Politics, Oxford University
Caleb Rich Imperial College (formerly Merton)
Victor Max Smith Anthropology Undergrad - Oxford Brookes
Dr Monica Mottin Ruskin College, Oxford, Lecturer
Roddy Slorach Branch organiser, Imperial College UCU
Dr Hazel Dawe East Oxford Green Party
Louise Raw Historian
Stuart Goodman Jewish Socialists' Group
Zia Ullah High Wycombe Community advocates
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