21:10 Marine Le Pen has left the building
Reckon first was decoy. After crowds leave line of police stop people approaching this flanked fast-moving van #LePen pic.twitter.com/eTthCBPaJC
— Nick Cooper (@drnickcooper) February 5, 2015
21:02 As students are moved down Cornmarket, there appears to be some sort of confrontation between activists and police
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20:56 Some speculation regarding the departure of Le Pen
Flanked police riot van just speeds down Cornmarket. Was it arrested protestors or, more likely, #LePen ?
— Nick Cooper (@drnickcooper) February 5, 2015
20:47 Human blockade of police. Activists being dragged off the road as they get in the way of police vans
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20:29 Protesters on Cornmarket showing no signs of moving. How will the Union get Le Pen safely out of the building?
#LePen coming to an end. Security seem to be discussing how to get her out. @OxfordUnion
— Christopher Fountain (@chrisjsfountain) February 5, 2015
20:23 With protest dissipating, students react to the content of Le Pen’s speech
#LePen says rise in terrorism is consequence of mass immigration AT MY UNIVERSITY. Glad Union thought her voice so unheard to need platform.
— Joseph Knight (@Jknight7395) February 5, 2015
20:21 Protesters still braving the cold on Cornmarket
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20:15 Picture appears to show protester scaling the fence of the Union
Protesters scale fences at Oxford Union protesting Marine Le Pen – Europe’s leading fascist – being invited to speak. pic.twitter.com/R4U1TGSU0k
— Anti-Fascist Network (@AntiFascistNetw) February 5, 2015
20:01 Protesters move to Purple Turtle
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19:54 It was a big night out for the Oxford left
marine le pen protest was most fun i’ve had in ages shout out to the anarchists up front attempting to storm the building
— Jakk Hayes (@jakkhayes) February 5, 2015
19:43 Rumours abound that Le Pen was snuck into the Oxford Union through the Purple Turtle. This is unverified
19:28 Tough times for Oxford students
Collateral of #LePen protest: long queue at Mission Burrito. pic.twitter.com/KgrnOzXPGt
— Nick Cooper (@drnickcooper) February 5, 2015
19:25 The protest still seems to be going strong outside. Latest update the SWP was apparently serenading OUCA with chants of ‘OUCA join us. We love you’ while OUSU kept their distance
19:13 For the linguists among you, you can read Le Pen’s speech in French on her Twitter account
“Aujourd’hui, en 2015, la liberté, nos libertés, si chèrement gagnées, sont menacées.” #Oxford
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) February 5, 2015
19:02 Le Pen opens with discussion of freedom of speech, discussing the importance of being able to speak without fear, especially in light of the recent Charlie Hebdo attacks
18:59 Le Pen has finally entered the chamber!
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18:58 Cherwell has heard reports Le Pen has entered the chamber
18:57 Emergency debate announced addressing events unfolding outside the chamber
Librarian announces an emergency debate “This House has sympathy with the protestors” #lepen
— Harry Samuels (@CuriousCabbage) February 5, 2015
18:52 Getting rowdy and impatient in the chamber as attendees told they must stay “for their safety”
“Currently not safe to leave the chamber. Please bear with us.” – Lisa Wehden, President #OxfordUnion #LePen
— Ceri Smith (@mynameisceri_) February 5, 2015
Officially am a prisoner. According to President it’s ‘not safe to leave’ #LePen @Cherwell_Online
— Will Tomsett (@willtomsett) February 5, 2015
18:44 BREAKING NEWS
Cameraman packing up has become the most compelling development in the room #lepen pic.twitter.com/tSY2PXcGTR
— Fraser Anderson (@FraaseA) February 5, 2015
18:42 @TheOxStu we are!
Anyone inside the Union? Please Tweet us if so.
— The Oxford Student (@TheOxStu) February 5, 2015
18:38 Reports surfacing that protesters managed to enter the Union
According to a member of Secretary’s Committee, they “literally got chased up the stairs by protesters” #lepen
— Harry Samuels (@CuriousCabbage) February 5, 2015
18:35 Some students still resolute outside the Union, others not so patient
Looks like my chances of getting back to college for dinner at 7 are slim to non existent #LePen
— Will Tomsett (@willtomsett) February 5, 2015
students waiting outside heading home now. Given up on getting inside Oxford U to hear #LePen talk”free speech at a university, how pre 1984
— Ann Sheridan (@bernerlap) February 5, 2015
18:32 Protest still going strong
#LePen debate blocked by anti fascists. Protestors chanting “this is free speech, that is a platform”.
— Jason N. Parkinson (@JasonNParkinson) February 5, 2015
“This is free speech, that’s a platform”. Best distillation of key argument into a chant? #LePen
— Lavinia Emmett-Grey (@LaviniaEG) February 5, 2015
18:20 Members of the Union stuck outside
@Cherwell_Online one does not simply walk into the Oxford Union. Its black gates are guarded by more than just 2 bodyguards… It is folly!
— Jonny Streatfeild (@JonnyStreat_) February 5, 2015
18:18 Cherwell understands that nobody is being allowed to leave the chamber
@Cherwell_Online Inside chamber we’ve been told by Standing Committee that Union is working to ‘resolve problems’ outside. #cherwell #LePen
— Will Tomsett (@willtomsett) February 5, 2015
18:14 Oxford Times release pictures of anarchists in balaclavas at the gates of the Union
200 outside @OxfordUnion during protest at appearance by right wing politician Marine Le Pen http://t.co/ZLLVoadXCN pic.twitter.com/ebNW4hQTfS
— Oxford Times (@oxfordtimes) February 5, 2015
18:10 As some Oxford students gather to protest, others have different priorities…
Barricaded in my own home and can’t even go to Russian class… #lepen
— Georgia Purnell (@georgiapurnellx) February 5, 2015
18:08 As protest heats up, there’s still no sign of police on site
18:04 More photos emerging of the attempt to breach the Union gates
More photos, Inc. a brief surge in to the Union grounds. #LePen #LePenoutofOxfordUnion #Oxford #OxfordUnion pic.twitter.com/W6quomseV7
— Calum W. White (@CalumWWhite) February 5, 2015
18:03 Still no sign of Marine Le Pen in the chamber
@Cherwell_Online All rather tame in here I’m afraid. pic.twitter.com/mRSqBzcLbx
— Fraser Anderson (@FraaseA) February 5, 2015
17:58 Local councillors address the crowd
Some local councillors from Oxford council speaking now. “#LePen is dragging the name of Oxford through the mud,” one says. #c4news
— Harry Horton (@harry_horton) February 5, 2015
17:54 Watch events unfold from Rutply’s live stream outside the Union
17:48 “We are all migrants” banner unfurled
We are all migrants. #marinelepen pic.twitter.com/aIGZwdY8l6
— Bruno Leipold (@BrunoLeipold) February 5, 2015
17:47 Cherwell has heard that some protestors are attempting to enter the Union
17:46 Students speak to Channel 4 about why they are coming to her Le Pen speak tonight
In Oxford @harry_horton talks to students who are attending the Marine Le Pen talk https://t.co/QmglqLD9XV
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) February 5, 2015
17:40 The entrance to the Union is being blocked by protesters holding anarchist flags
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17:33 A French deportee addresses the crowd
À Oxford une fille de déporté français proteste contre la venue de #MarineLePen pic.twitter.com/kUPS5W6bMk
— Philippe Bernard (@canalbernard) February 5, 2015
17:28 Ex-OUSU President Tom Rutland champions the power of open debate
Has a clever first year ppe undergrad made marine le pen change her mind at the oxford union yet? Can only be a matter of time!
— Tom Rutland (@tomrutland) February 5, 2015
17:25 Crowd still growing on St.Michael’s Street
Scenes at @OxfordUnion and the protest outside, crowds numbers growing and the noise is getting louder #Marinelepen pic.twitter.com/CQrNfDhtQx
— Tom Sutherland (@tas9173) February 5, 2015
17:21 OUSU President Louis Trup tells Cherwell, “I don’t like Unite Against Fascism, but I don’t like Marine Le Pen either.”
17:19 Protest heating up as crowd begins to chant
#Marinelepen anti-fascist protestors are chanting “le pen we know you, daddy was a fascist too”
— ell (@ellenmilligann) February 5, 2015
17:17 Reports emerging that press are not being allowed in to tonight’s talk
@OxfordUnion Not letting press in #Marinelepen meeting without accreditation. Fair. Except no one seems to be getting accreditation.
— Gabriella Swerling (@GabriellaSwerl) February 5, 2015
17:11 Around 200 people currently outside the Union
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17:06 Crowds gathering and plenty of press on the scene
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17:00 A call to arms as the protest kicks off
There are three categories of people in Oxford today: fascists, anti-fascists, and those who would sit idly by while fascist ideas take hold
— James Elliott (@JFGElliott) February 5, 2015
16:53 Crowd begins to gather at the Union
Queues starting to grow for #marinelepen talk at #OxfordUnion while protestors taking up their placards pic.twitter.com/gwDhp3YBvD
— Gabriella Swerling (@GabriellaSwerl) February 5, 2015
16:47 Spiked Online already lamenting the absence of free speech on campus
Oxford’s SU is demanding the @OxfordUnion cancel Marine Le Pen’s upcoming appearance #freespeech #students4freedom http://t.co/P0avoISTzE
— spiked (@spikedonline) February 5, 2015
16:35 With half an hour to go before the protests, the anticipation is building. Oxford protests have today drawn the attention of the national media, including The Guardian and The Independent
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Cherwell brings you its news, views and analysis throughout tonight’s contentious protests at the Union.
If you want to have your say, tweet us @Cherwell_Online or use the hashtag #marinelepen and we’ll publish the best of the bunch on here.
