Who can tell us what happened at The Independent (London) on Tuesday morning, Nov 27, 2007? Please contact us. Their front page, highlighted on TV programmes the night before, carried a whole page photograph of David Irving arriving at the Oxford Union. This was, uh, improved later to the front page at right; who got at the Not-So Independent?
 
Spot the difference. Front page of The Independent, Nov 27, 2007. Top: Mr Irving arrives to fight for Free Speech; below, the later editions: the newspaper’s new heroes are those who failed to stop him speaking. |
IndexOn November 26, 2007 David Irving finally spoke at the Oxford Union. Seven previous invitations had been cancelled or beaten down by the traditional enemies of Free Speech.
 YouTube video of David Irving speaking at the Oxford Union, Nov 26, 2007 (furtively filmed, 8 mins: poor sound: note the two Lefties silently flouncing out at 4:50) |with links to more video | a nearly complete transcript of David Irving’s speech- Peter Hitchens (brother of the admirable Christopher H) equivocates in the Daily Mail about Mr Irving — a good historian, but… “Free speech is for nasty people, not nice ones“
- Süddeutsche Zeitung: Holocaustleugner Irving in Oxford: Eklat an Elite-Uni: Es ist eine Schande: Wegen der Einladung des Holocaustleugners Irving ist es an der Universität Oxford zu heftigen Protesten gekommen [in German]
- Meinungsfreiheit: Eine erbärmliche Figur: Von wütenden Protesten begleitet sind die verurteilten Rechtsextremen Irving und Griffin in Oxford aufgetreten – und nutzten die Gelegenheit, Demonstranten als “Pöbel” zu beschimpfen und sich als Märtyrer zu geben [in German]. (Their correspondent Alexander Menden, like all other journalists, did not get into the chamber: but hey, don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story)
- David Irving, a Radical’s Diary: After thirty years, I finally speak at the Oxford Union. Not everybody is happy about it
- The debate at the Oxford Union: a student’s full eyewitness account | and Mr Irving’s mild rebuke to Luke Tryl
- Cherwell (the Oxford student newspaper) posts a video of street interviews that evening
- BBC report on the event – an Oriel undergraduate said most questions were addressed to Mr Irving. He said: “I think it was a very balanced argument and both sides did really well.” | Guardian | Independent | Evening Standard: Will Self: “I loathe these bigots’ views but we can’t just ban hate” — (who are the bigots, then, Will? Get your heroin-addled brain sorted out.)
- Der Spiegel’s version [in German, but good photos] | Mark Hoofnagle [where do they get these names?]: Holocaust Denier David Irving at Oxford – A report
- In The Guardian, Max Hastings writes: Students need to know what sort of dangerous people are out there
 | Protesters force their way into Oxford Union
- How they do it – the philanthropists who got Tony Blair into the Unwanted War – Wealthy property developer hid real origin of his donations to Blair’s Labour Party: used employees as frontmen | BBC | The Times
- Pressure mounts: Evening Standard: Riot fear (Irving: “I do not plan rioting myself”) | Son of only recent Brits, Trevor Phillips tells OU to cancel even now | Daily Mail’s outrage mounts | The Observer (London) weeps buckets: Row as Oxford Union votes to hear Irving
- Der Spiegel’s spin on this: SPIEGEL ONLINE, 25.11.2007: Debattierclub in Oxford: Holocaustleugner auf Podium eingeladen: [Politiker sind entsetzt, tausende Bürger empören sich: Die Oxford Union hat den Holocaust-Leugner David Irving und den rechtsextremen Politiker Nick Griffin eingeladen. Trotz massiven Protestes soll die Veranstaltung Montag über die Bühne gehen. Die Polizei rechnet mit Ausschreitungen] | Jewish world: tickets to the event have sold out | Oxford University in crisis: student vote was overwhelming: They wanted to hear David Irving speak |
- Lipstadt threw her weight into the voting fray – “No one at the Union seems to support Irving’s views“ Uh, no one? | BBC report | Oxford Mail: defeated opponents now threaten violence on Monday
- The Independent: Oxford votes on whether Irving should address Union | and The Independent earns a warning letter
- David Irving, a Radical’s Diary: Today I must drive into London to get a haircut and some balls. I shall need them for Monday
- Outrage and uproar at Oxford – debate rages – Oxford Union faces Boycott over David Irving – British Defence Secretary and three other lawmakers cancel appearances at Oxford University’s debating society | Mr Irving warns Denis McShane, Zionist MP
- Oxford Mail: Union may cancel event, decision Friday | email your views to Oxford Union president
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