We are dismayed to hear about your invitation to BNP’s leader Nick Griffin to speak at a debate entitled ‘This house believes immigration has gone too far’ on the 20th October. We believe that this gives legitimacy to someone whose supporters will create a hostile atmosphere on campus for international students, students of migrant origin, and LGBT students.

Nick Griffin has been filmed defending racist violence. In the video, Griffin defends the right of white nationalists to “maim, hurt or blow people up” if they have “no other way of expressing a legitimate grievance”. Considering the recent events in Norway, with the death of more than sixty young activists, we believe that it is dangerous to invite someone who has previously encouraged those kind of actions. In other words, no matter how the planned debate goes, the provision of such a platform for Nick Griffin in Dublin will have very negative consequences for the wider college and Dublin community outside of the GMB.

Naturally, we do not suggest that the Phil are in any way endorsing Nick Griffin’s views. But there are those in Ireland who do seek to build a movement similar to his and they will be delighted at his obtaining such a prestigious platform. When David Irving spoke in UCC in 2008, you can see from this website http://www.stormfront.org/forum/t462662/ that ‘white power’ militants, including some from Dublin, were delighted and went to support him. By giving Nick Griffin a high profile TCD engagement you are helping him make links with such people and giving them greater confidence to incite racial hatred.

Trinity College is known across the world as a great educational institution and a welcoming place for international students. We wish that this will remain so, and we urge the Philosophy Society to withdraw the invitation to Nick Griffin and the British National Party.