Now protestors petition for UKIP to be allowed on campus

Students have called for the cancelled UKIP event to go ahead. 

The event was cancelled yesterday just 24 hours after it was announced.

The talk, which was organised by the PSI Society, caused outrage and a petition against it attracted over one thousand signatures.

However, a counter-petition has now been set up to allow the speech to take place.

Third year Adam Romo, who set up the counter-petition, said: “The idea of the petition is not to support UKIP in their views.

“Rather it is to promote discussion and freedom of speech that should be practiced in a democratic society, especially at a university.

“I believe it is incredibly important in a democracy that views no matter how extreme so that people better understand each other’s motives.

“Censorship is not the answer if people wish to deal with a problem. Censoring them gives them more ammunition and more support.”

The petition has gained over 200 signatures and the support of many students.

Third year politics student Josh Gray said: “I feel that for us to call someone an enemy, a racist or give them a derogatory title, we need to debate with them and demonstrate why they’re wrong

“The UKIP event would have been a good way to show the students are united against them.”

The PSI Society, who originally organised the event, have unsurprisingly shown support for the petition.

PSI Society President Haylie Pallister said: “I fully support the new petition and it is a vital component in building a case to take forward to the Board of Trustees.

“The aim is to show there are a significant amount of students who want this event to go ahead on campus.

“The committee and I are working hard to ensure this event is approved by the board so it can go ahead.”

Timea Süli, who started the original petition to cancel the UKIP event, said: “I started my petition with the intention of challenging views and sparking a debate.

“That’s certainly happened. I feel inspired by the number of people who have become involved in this discussion, both for and against.

The counter-petition is a demonstration of that involvement, and I urge people to continue standing up for what they believe in.

“It’s important that the union and society can offer a compelling case that UKIP’s presence is not threatening to students on campus, as student safety and comfort is hugely important to our campus.”