This is an editorial which featured in the Oxford Times this week and was written by politics reporter Ed Halford.
Oxford found itself at the centre of a culture wars storm this week.
Universities across the country have been bullied into no platforming controversial speakers after student unions have kicked off about ideas potentially hurting feelings.
Well known politicians and intellectuals have been forced to dumb down talks due to the fear of being cancelled by an angry mob of activists trolling thinkers who put forward a perspective which challenges their world outlook.
Kathleen Stock’s appearance at the Oxford Union was predictably controversial and attracted the nation’s media to a relatively small debating chamber, which has many features with a glaring resemblance to the House of Commons.
Despatch boxes were at the ready, but this talk consisted of Prof Stock receiving a grilling by union president Matthew Dick, and then further questions from the audience.
The professor, who was forced out of her role at Sussex University, needed a team of security personnel to escort her safely to the venue.
The very fact Prof Stock could not make her own way to the venue without potential risks to her safety surely is a sign that suggestions freedom of speech is under threat are not always sensationalist or exaggerated.
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Before Mr Dick had proceeded to start trying to dismantle the professor’s beliefs, an anti-monarchy and trans-rights activist Riz Possnett came out of nowhere.
Well, not really nowhere.
They had obviously planned this in advance, aware that gluing oneself to the floor is bound to attract attention and take the spotlight away from a thinker one doesn’t agree with.
However, despite the sticky affair catching the headlines, attention should not be distracted away from those students who challenged Prof Stock directly.
They did not try to disrupt or halt the event.
Instead, many students spoke about their personal battles with their gender identity.
Their decision to challenge Prof Stock was a demonstration of intellectual boldness which our society is so badly lacking.
The protesters were entitled to peacefully voice their feelings – if not to disrupt and intimidate.
Mr Dick recently told The Oxford Times that freedom of speech is a “two way street” and this means respecting people’s right to make their feelings known.
On this occasion, it was fortunate the Oxford Union has a significant degree of independence from the university, both politically and financially, which allowed free speech to be upheld.
However, senior university figures watching the scenes of students chanting “f*** the Union” from afar will not likely be filled with confidence in the future when making decisions which poke the culture war storm.
Free speech was upheld and the protestors were given the opportunity to vent their frustration – but at what cost?
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About the author
To sign up to Ed's weekly Politics newsletter, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times.
He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.
Ed’s weekly politics newsletter is released every Saturday morning.
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