Amber Rudd and no-platformed at Oxford Uni

[mindtheclegs]

Did a quick search and couldn't find this as an own thread (added to Selina Todd's one but thought it worth a seperate one).

Her Tweet:
twitter.com/AmberRuddUK/status/1235838618221948928
"Badly judged & rude of some students last night at Oxford to decide to “no platform” me 30 mins before an event I had been invited to for #IWD2020 to encourage young women into politics. They should stop hiding and start engaging. #FreeSpeech"

The Oxford Uni article:
www.oxfordstudent.com/2020/03/05/unwomen-oxford-cancels-amber-rudd/
The group is called UNWomen. UnWomen?! And they apologised for hurtz and feels felt by non-binary and 'womxn'. Dressed up in dismay around her politics but they bloody knew her history before asking her to speak, yes?

You’re missing the point. The students don’t object to her having A platform, what they object to is her having This platform. It was an event organised to celebrate successful women and the students decided that based on her involvement in Windrush A.R is not somebody that they feel comfortable celebrating.

It's not just the misogyny but actual violent fantasies about punching Patel and locking her in a cell to be tortured. Usually by male "woke" comrades.

You can tell who a person is by how they behave towards a woman they disagree with.

Thanks, I am now going to apply this rule in my life LizA49. I would not be surprised if the allegations of bullying turned out to be true but the idea that she is the 1st or worst politician who has bullied civil servants is risible.

HesMyLobster

You’re missing the point

You are spectacularly missing the point. These idiots invited Amber Rudd to speak. She didn't ask for a platform to speak. These petty little idiots rescinded their own invitation 30 minutes before she was due to speak.

You’re missing the point. The students don’t object to her having A platform, what they object to is her having This platform. It was an event organised to celebrate successful women and the students decided that based on her involvement in Windrush A.R is not somebody that they feel comfortable celebrating

Well, then, don't attend.......simples. It's a democracy.

The students don’t object to her having A platform

Sounds a bit fascistic. You don't speak for everyone, or for all students. Methinks you ought to check your privilege.

I'm getting wholly sick of American identity politics.

I saw a Labour FB thread about Priti Patel with comments about her clothes, describing her as an ugly bitch, that she is an "Uncle Tom" and has a punchable face. Seems like racism and sexism against Tories is just fine

Absolutely.....and the way Esther McVey was treated and talked about by many on the left was simply disgusting misogyny.

but surely the students attending are bright enough that they could have tackled her robustly on all sorts of meaty subjects. That is far better than denying her the right to speak. What absolute wallies. I'm embarrassed for them

Unfortunately no longer necessarily true.......the art of critical thinking and debate seems to have fallen by the way-side. A degree, or even a doctorate these days need mean nothing much really.

These organisers with strong political beliefs must have done one of the following:

1. Booked Rudd without doing any research to see if she shared their politics. Continued failing to do any research in the run up. Noticed on the day of the event. Decided to cancel because she would persuade too many Oxford students to switch to her politics, which don't match the organisers' politics.

Oxford students are lazy sheeple

1. Knew who they were booking. She is a successful female politician and so a reasonable choice for speaker for IWD at Oxford. The cult got upset and bullied the organisers into cancelling at the last minute.

Oxford students cannot stand behind their own opinions when put under pressure

1. Knew who they were booking. Planned this "prank" from the very start. Now smug at how they stuck it to her.

Oxford students would screw over their own esteemed establishment to have a petty poke at a powerful woman.

Oxford used to turn out top people didn't it?

Tork, I really think there is a probable no. 4 which is reflected in this statement from their website:

'The statement continued, “We are deeply sorry for all and any hurt caused to our members and other wom*n and non-binary people in Oxford over this event.'

It's as simple as that I reckon, just men not wanting a strong powerful female speaking.

Isn't that just (2) mind?

The three options mean they are either as thick as mince and/or petty and vindictive.

The statement continued, “We are deeply sorry for all and any hurt caused to our members and other wom*n and non-binary people in Oxford over this event.'

Even if you think Amber Rudd is the wickedest person ever in relation to Windrush what the hell has that got to do "wom*n and non- binary"?

If that was the reason for cancellation, which it clearly wasn't, they should be apologising to everyone within their community who came from Windrush families.

Stupid, nasty, pathetic little children. I hope the grownups at Oxford do discipline them.

I'm embarrassed for them

I'm not. That would mean I had some sympathy for them and that they might redeem themselves at some future point.

You are spectacularly missing the point. These idiots invited Amber Rudd to speak. She didn't ask for a platform to speak. These petty little idiots rescinded their own invitation 30 minutes before she was due to speak.

Chair of society booked Amber Rudd. Others in the society and on the committee, as well as students from other groups raised concerns about whether that was appropriate.
There was a democratic vote amongst the group attending the event.
The result was No, we don't wish to host her or to be seen to be celebrating her and what she stands for.
So they cancelled.
Yes perhaps it was bad manners to take back her invitation.
But a case of bad manners would be nothing compared to the potential hurt to the black and Afro Caribbean feminists and students who felt her presence at such an event would be a direct and personal attack when their families and communities have suffered at her hands.

"You are spectacularly missing the point. These idiots invited Amber Rudd to speak. She didn't ask for a platform to speak. These petty little idiots rescinded their own invitation 30 minutes before she was due to speak".*

"Petty little idiots"*
You sound like a man talking about women with opinions.
These women had an opinion and acted on it. That doesn't make them petty, or little or idiots

HesMyLobster

How often does this need to be explained to you ? Did you hear that whooshing noise? It was the point sailing spectacularly over your head.

The students involved EXTENDED AN INVITATION TO AMBER RUDD TO COME TO SPEAK.

Amber Rudd did not ask to be there- she was invited to speak. She wasn't demanding a platform to speak.

Your points are beyond irrelevant. They are petty, vindictive , children who were either too stupid to do their homework about the person they had invited to speak , or it was a deliberate attempt to humiliate her.

I don't know how much simpler I can make it for you.

But a case of bad manners would be nothing compared to the potential hurt to the black and Afro Caribbean feminists and students who felt her presence at such an event would be a direct and personal attack when their families and communities have suffered at her hands

What complete nonsense. Even if you believe that, they didn't apologise to that group. They apologised to "wom*n and non- binary"

But a case of bad manners would be nothing compared to the potential hurt to the black and Afro Caribbean feminists and students who felt her presence at such an event would be a direct and personal attack when their families and communities have suffered at her hands

Oh for goodness sake! The world does not exist, nor the earth turn to protect people's delicate feelings. Life is tough, and often shit. You grow strong by standing up for what you value - not by disinviting people who might offend some manufactured sensibility.

Arguments can only be won by debate. all you are doing is generating a huge, almighty backlash.

Do you realise what many people would give to be able to attend such a prestigious and world class institution such as Oxford? Appreciate your privilege and show you are worthy of that; otherwise you are degrading the whole establishment of excellence with this imported American grievance.

No-platforming is equivalent to my 3yo screaming for Daddy to get out her room when he’s told her something she doesn’t want to hear

Utterly narcissistic and infantile...and while a natural stage on the journey towards maturity and adulthood...not a state to get stuck in beyond its appropriateness.

The internet and social media has created a world where people really do feel like they can tailor make their own reality in ay shape or form they like - oblivious to what is actually going on, or real, all about them.

Studies have started to reveal the truth we already know – women and girls everywhere live with the reality of violence and harassment in public

Yes, the data is sparse, studies are small, and attempts to try and stop violence and harassment in public places are not based on enough lived experiences. Efforts need to be joined up to see visible change across the UK

8We are collecting stories and data that represent real women’s experiences, to make sure that leaders are listening, and to get the owners and administrators of public spaces to design solutions that really work. It’s time to take action

Taken from the UNWomen's charter: www.unwomenuk.org/safe-spaces-now

They really do think they've just discovered space travel don't they; or the fact that all the above has been well documented for many decades and is precisely why women require their own spaces. services and sports. The sense that a whole new generation is trying to re-invent the wheel - but at the same time displaying utter confusion about what being a woman actually means.

Our mission is for every woman and girl to have an equal right to Safety, Choice, and A Voice

The irony.....

Dido

The Point is that Some of the students (the organisers) invited her to speak. The rest of the group voted that it wasn't appropriate.

The problem you're having is that you seem to be lumping "them" into one, "stupid, petty little" homogeneous group.
Are you saying these women shouldn't question the decisions of their leaders and peers?

Even if it were reasonable to hold a vote as to whether to disinvite someone because you disagree with something that happened whilst they were in elected office rather than listen and ask questions to hold them to account, you don’t do so half an hour before they arrive. The talk was advertised, the committee knew she had been invited, it didn’t come as a shock to them that she was about to appear!

Again - if it had been a simple question and answers session the students would have been happy for it to go ahead.

The part they objected to was that the event was described as a "celebration" of successful women and they didn't feel it was appropriate to include her in that.

No it wasn't ideal to let her know at the last minute, but that's on the organisers, not the majority of the students who had been voicing their thoughts since the event was announced in January.

nothing compared to the potential hurt to the black and Afro Caribbean feminists and students who felt her presence at such an event would be a direct and personal attack when their families and communities have suffered at her hands .
We need to knock this on the head that words / ideas are literal violence or are direct attacks on people. Different viewpoints and ideas are the rich pattern of society - even hurtful ideas. Amber Rudd was a democratically elected politician. And yes - this is like toddler tantrums, not befitting allegedly educated people.