Uvavu! Vic Reeves speaks exclusively to The Courier about his new book and the return of Shooting Stars Culture, page 21
Issue 1196 Monday 26 October 2009 www.thecourieronline.co.uk
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Inside today >>> Alarm bells Fire engines were called out to campus last week to tackle a blaze at Windsor Terrace. 1HZV SDJH
University break-ins There is concern for student security after international students were twice burgled at a University managed property. Student Liaison Coordinator Fay Paterson and University Flats Manager Paul Bandeen have their say on the matter. 1HZV SDJH
The rise of anti-fatism Is discriminating against overweight people the same as racism? Laura Heads discusses. &RPPHQW SDJH
Snail mail +DYH 3RVW 2IÂż FHV KDG WKHLU GD\ or is it one British institution that should not be lost? The Debate looks at the arguments for and against privatisation. &RPPHQW SDJH 8QLWH DQG Âż JKW VWXGHQWV UDOO\ DW WKH %%& VWXGLRV RQ %DUUDFN 5RDG 1HZFDVWOH ODVW 7KXUVGD\ DKHDG RI %13 OHDGHU 1LFN *ULIÂż QÂśV FRQWURYHUVLDO DSSHDUDQFH RQ 4XHVWLRQ 7LPH LQ /RQGRQ
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Lining up against the BNP Charlie Oven Student activists amassed outside the BBC’s Newcastle studio last Thursday in protest against the televised appearance of the British NaWLRQDO 3DUW\ OHDGHU 1LFN *ULIĂ€ Q RQ Question Time. The timing of the protest could be seen as a dramatic statement of intent, taking place just a few hours prior to the scheduled BBC programme. The demonstration involved a slow march from Newcastle University Students’ Union to the BBC centre on Barrack Road, where they were met by fellow anti-BNP campaigners. The BNP have often courted controversy with their far right views. Part of the party’s 12-page manifesto reads: ‘The British National Party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples.’ The party’s opposition to racial integration resonates in what The Independent calls an “unashamed manifesto for ethnic cleansingâ€? in a
nation that has established a modern identity of multiculturalism. The incompatible nature of the BNP’s policies with many British citizens has traditionally marginalised the party. Nevertheless, the recent election of *ULIĂ€ Q WR WKH (XURSHDQ 3DUOLDPHQW in June 2009 propelled the party into the media spotlight. This is a key factor in explaining ZK\ *ULIĂ€ Q IRXQG KLPVHOI RQ WKH %%&¡V Ă DJVKLS SROLWLFDO GLVFXVVLRQ programme, Question Time, on Thursday evening. That aside, his appearance fostered contention. The BBC argued that as a democratically elected politician, whose party gained nearly a million votes at the European elections, he was entitled to a platform. ,Q UHVSRQVH WR *ULIĂ€ Q¡V LQYLWH /D bour MP, Andy Slater, told The Independent that it was “just irresponsible.â€? 2SSRQHQWV RI *ULIĂ€ Q IHDUHG WKDW being on the programme would hand his party the legitimacy it had long craved and which it had not been granted. It was these very fears that offered an incentive for the local protesters to act. With the protesters congregating outside the Students’ Union, there
was a feeling of anticipation as numbers gathered. Such feelings were fuelled by impassioned slogans on signs erected by the enthusiasts that preached racial equality. Speaking to The Courier, Phil Wilson, a coordinator of the protest, commented: “I’ve been encouraged by the levels of interest and participation. The aim of the protest is to show the need for unity in order to combat fascism. “It was a successful formula when confronting the National Front in the 1970s.â€? As protesters marched through &DVWOH /HD]HV RQ WKHLU PHDQGHULQJ MRXUQH\ WR WKH /RRN 1RUWK VWXGLRV chants of ‘black and white unite’ echoed around the walls of the student accommodation. Ian Pattison, a third year Politics student at Newcastle University, told The Courier: “I hope the protest ZLOO UHĂ HFW WKH VWUHQJWK RI SXEOLF opinion against the BNP.â€? However, Pattison was quick to draw a distinction between the BNP itself and certain BNP voters. He continued: “Many supporters of the %13 DUH GLVVDWLVĂ€ HG PHPEHUV RI WKH working class who felt betrayed after the failings of mainstream politi-
cal parties.â€? On reaching the studios, the student-led protest joined with fellow anti-BNP activists under an observant police presence. The stage was now set for activists to make politically charged speeches, where rhetoric ran deep. One protester cried: “Question Time is a platform for debate, but there is no debate to be had with fascism.â€? Such an uncompromising attitude to the BNP’s far right policies was met with wide enthusiastic applause, encapsulating the consensual undertones of the protest. As the protest came to a conclusion, Michael Dixon, a protest coRUGLQDWRU UHĂ HFWHG ZLWK RSWLPLVP “In terms of organising the campaign, we did all we could in order to deliver a successful message of anti-fascism in this region.â€? With this in mind, it is clear that local protesters can walk away safe in the knowledge that their campaign against the BNP was one of many protests that emerged across the country on Thursday. Elsewhere, over 150 protesters had gathered outside BBC Television &HQWUH LQ :HVW /RQGRQ Commentary, page 6
With plastic surgery popularity at an all time high, how far would \RX JR WR JHW WKH À DZOHVV features you’ve dreamed of? /LIH 6W\OH SDJH
Hockey off the mark Men’s hockey 1sts got their season up and running with a thrilling draw away at Durham. 6SRUW SDJH
University Challenge Jeremy Paxman talks about the iconic game show and how you can get involved at Newcastle. &XOWXUH SDJH