Nick Griffin complains to Gardai as his TCD invite is retracted

By Jenny Darmody

British National Party (BNP) chairman, Nick Griffin, has complained to the Gardai about protests that led to the cancellation of his scheduled appearance at Trinity College Dublin.

Speaking to DCUfm, Griffin said it was clear that the law had been broken.

“Clearly… the college don’t encourage balanced debate and free speech because when they came under a bit of pressure they simply said to me ‘Well don’t come’,” he said.

The BNP leader was due to attend a debate on immigration, entitled: “This House Believe Immigration Has Gone Too Far.”

The party’s 2010 general election manifesto stated that it would halt all immigration, deport all illegal immigrants and deport all foreigners convicted of crimes in Britain, as well as repealing race relations legislation and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in the UK.

However, the Union of Jewish Students in Britain and Ireland had called on Trinity College “to deny the BNP a platform.”

Griffin was due to speak to the Philosophical Society at TCD but after protesters disrupted another of the society’s debates, the college decided to cancel Griffin’s appearance as they feared for the safety of staff and students.

However, Griffin said that the fault was not with the college but the with the Gardai for not upholding the law. He said they needed to “come down” on people who disrupt events and used “fascist methods” against political opponents.

“They can object to me, they can object to my message but they need to come along and talk about it, and not threaten people,” he said about the protesters.

When asked about Griffin’s allegations that it was “very clear” the law had been broken, TCD SU refused to comment on the situation.