Presidential candidate calls for campus ban on EDL

The far right protest group caused a stir when they gate-crashed a lecture being held as part of SUBU’s (Students Union of Bournemouth University) Islamic Awareness Week on Talbot campus.

Wood told The Tab that if elected, she would make banning the EDL from campus a priority.

Coralie Wood has pledged to make banning the EDL from campus one of her priorities if elected

“Everyone has the right to the freedom of speech and to express their views” said Wood.

“But when extreme views like those of the EDL are forced upon students aggressively and unprovoked in an environment which is supposed to be safe, then action needs to be taken.

“Obviously, the views of students and whether they would want the EDL banned from campus would need to be taken in to consideration in the process, but I would definitely make it a priority if I were to be elected.”

The controversial group dubbed the event on campus “A Night Of Cultural Terrorism At Bournemouth University!” on their YouTube channel.

A screenshot from the EDL’s video footage – the full video is at the bottom of the article

They explained their rationale for attending as being “concerned that teenage kids at university were being given a white washed version of Islam.”

Gaz Fawkes, the Deputy Regional Organiser for the Bournemouth EDL, explained he feared that “the people running the event might have been extremists / separatists / Muslim supremacists calling for sharia to dominate the UK” and claimed, “If this was the case we would have disrupted the event by any means necessary.”

When asked to respond to this comment Wood said, “The university and the Students’ Union would not knowingly allow an event to go ahead that encouraged extreme views or terrorism in any form, no matter what religion.

“I cannot understand why the EDL took it upon themselves to attend the event of which was students simply aiming to educate their fellow students.

“It concerns me that they claim that they would have disrupted the event by any means necessary, with the welfare of the students my primary concern.”

SUBU are evidently also concerned for student welfare. They told The Tab they are taking the issue “very seriously” and have already begun putting measures in place to protect students.

“The ‘Safe Space’ policy is a work in progress being written to address issues like this in the future” said a representative of the Student’s Union.

“In practice, it will seek to provide guidelines for how all students, staff and visitors will be expected to behave at any Union event in the interests of avoiding prejudice and threatening behaviour towards students.

“SUBU defends all students rights to identify as they choose, and their ability to feel comfortable in participating fully in Union activity.”

Despite concerns, Ian Jones, Head of Regional Community Partnerships at Bournemouth University, said, “The debate on our campus, including the English Defence League, was very peaceful. We have a duty of care to protect our students and are confident that students remained safe during the debate.

“Bournemouth University is committed to encouraging all students to grow, debate and develop whilst at university and we welcome weeks such as Islamic Awareness Week, which seek to provide students with a platform to learn about the world they live in.”

Coralie Wood also supports the effort made to make Islamic Awareness Week a success, “The Islamic Society made an incredible effort in hosting events throughout the week to educate BU students about their religion, of which students were given the option to participate in.

“It is clear from the video that the EDL were not interested in hearing the views of the Islamic society.

“Students should feel comfortable in expressing their own thoughts, views and emotions without feeling oppressed or targeted in any way.”

Below is the footage taken by the Bournemouth Branch of the EDL during a lecture as part Islamic Awareness Week:

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Coralie Wood is running for SUBU President. Learn more about her policies here and visit her Facebook page here. Voting closes at 5pm on Thursday 20^th March.