A debate at the Oxford Union was beamed across the world on the Internet for the first time last night.
A discussion on fox hunting went out live on BBC Online, the most-visited site in Europe.
John Cooper, the chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports, and Paul Davis, of the Hunt Saboteurs' Association spoke for the motion This House would ban all fox hunting.
Debating against the motion were Alison Hawes, of the Countryside Alliance, Prof Roger Scruton, an eminent philosopher and writer, and Robin Page, a prominent pro-hunting advocate.
President of the Union Helen Eastman, 20, said: "This is a landmark event for the Oxford Union, 44 years after the first televised debate. "The Internet is an exciting new media for the Union, allowing controversial discussion to be transmitted direct to viewers across the world.
"I hope this will be the first of many debates to be broadcast on the Internet. The clashes across the despatch box will no longer be confined to just our debating chamber."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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