fb.com/warwickboar twitter.com/warwickboar theStudentboar Publication of the Year 203 Wednesday 8th June, 204 Est. 973 | Volume 36 | Issue 2 Samuel Lovett Ann Yip A student who has been identified Fascist leader leaves Warwick as the leader of a fascist group is to withdraw from the University of Warwick. The student was identified as 19-year-old Alex Davies, a first- • Warwick fresher Alex Davies identified as fascist leader year Philosophy undergraduate, in an article published by the Sunday Mirror on June 7. Mr Davies is one of the leaders of • Students protest against fascism on campus the National Action movement, an openly anti-semitic and self-pro- claimed racist fascist group. The group disrupted a Warwick • Davies “has asked to permanently withdraw from the Anti-Sexism protest earlier this year and had been putting up post- ers around campus. University” According to the Mirror, Mr Davies was “fiercely” protective of his identity, but after an investi- gation which involved a reporter posing as an anti-Semitic student interested in joining the group, the newspaper found that Mr Davies’ emails were sent from a server at Warwick University. Davies told the Mirror: “I don’t want to say what I’d like to do to Jews – it’s too extreme.” Davies joined Young BNP (Brit- ish National Party) at 1 but found it in “disarray”. As a result, he de- cided to form the National Action group. The University has been active- ly examining allegations about the activity of the Warwick fresher which, if true, would be in breach of the University’s dignity at work and study policy. On June 12, Peter Dunn, spokes- person for the University, told the Boar: “The student has confirmed that the substance of the allegations is true and he has asked to perma- nently withdraw from the Univer- sity with immediate effect, and his withdrawal is now being actioned.” Warwick Anti-Racism Society (WARSoc) held a protest against the presence of the National Action group on Thursday 12 June outside Senate House. There was an esti- mated 150 people at the demonstra- tion. WARSoc told the Boar: “Differ- ent students will feel differently about the effects of a fascist group on campus. But it’s not okay to go around sticking up posters and us- ing campus to hold the movement. “We want to make sure campus remains a safe place.” The Boar has approached Mr Davies, but he was not available to comment. Continued on page 2 » Students protest against fascism photo: Warwick Anti-Racism Society Sponsored by: 2 News theboar.org/News | @BoarNews | NEWStheboar.org 2 National Action leader drops out of Warwick University Continued from front page of an organised fascist group… and are in daily dialogue with them According to the Mirror, Davies “UCU Warwick would like to over this matter. claimed that he was ready to go to affirm that there is no place for fas- “While we appreciate the un- What did Warwick students think? jail for his beliefs, saying: “If we can cists at this or any other university. ease created by this situation, we stay out of prison we will. But you “We call on University manage- trust that the student body under- “I was pretty shocked, he (Alex “It’s disgusting. It’s a threat to stu- have to consider race-hate laws. ment to publicly state what meas- stands that we are not in a position Davies) lives in the flat above us. dents of any minority background They’re quite ambiguous, so it is ures it plans to take to protect the to disclose or discuss any specifics I couldn’t believe it when I found and has no place here. It doesn’t possible some of us would go to safety and freedom of all BME relating to an individual student or out.” make the university a safe place.” prison. But we’re prepared for that.” (black and ethnic minority), LG- students. He said: “We’re targeting univer- BTQ and Jewish students and staff “Student safety is of the utmost Ella Hattey, fi rst-year Jamie Sims, second-year sities regularly. That’s something on campus, in the face of explic- concern for both the Student Un- Sociology Philsophy, Politics and the BNP never had. We’ve built it threats by the National Action ion and the University, and we are Economics something in a few months the group that intends to ‘exterminate’ doing all that would be expected to BNP didn’t have in 20 years.” Jewish and ‘non-white’ people in ensure the safety of all of our mem- “I’m completely disgusted, this is He also told the Mirror: “I’m not the UK.” bers.” the twenty-first century. “I believe it’s giving the university concerned what your readers think Warwick Students’ Union issued The national newspaper also a bad name. It’s not something I about me. All you should know is a statement saying: “Warwick SU unveiled Benjamin Raymond, Es- “The scary thing is that I know want to be associated with.” that we aren’t going to stop.” stands firmly opposed to any form sex University graduate, as a leader people who, as ethnic minorities, The University College Union of racism, sexism, homophobia, of National Action. Mr Raymond have interacted with him. He’s put Finny Quigly, fi rst-year Maths (UCU) passed a motion on June 11. transphobia, ableism or similar dis- claims to “love Hitler” and believes on a facade when really he’s had and Economics It stated that the “UCU supports the criminatory behaviour. that non-whites and Jews in Britain these views all along.” anti-fascist demonstration organ- “We have conveyed our views in need to be exterminated. ised by Warwick Anti-Racism soci- our position as student represent- The group has an estimated Eloise Millard, fi rst-year “It was very surprising how Davies ety in protest against the presence atives strongly to the University, membership of 0 nationwide. English Literature was trying to recruit people and how violent and anti-Semitic he was. I don’t want to say there is no “I don’t think there is much of a risk but we have to face them as risk of this affecting us. It’s a very they appear... [on the other hand] international and multi-cultural We can’t be hysterical.” university. Mark Best, second-year Maths “However, if nothing is done, it could become a risk. I could see it appealing to some people, not “It runs the danger of spoiling the necessarily in the university, but atmosphere at Warwick. There is in its surrounding where they’ve talk of anti-Semitism and physical been holding recruitment drives.” violence which is scary.” Artin Giles, fi rst-year History Kate Orlandi, fi rst-year » Warwick students protest against National Action on campus. 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Except where otherwise noted, theboar and the you want to write for the paper works in theboar are licensed under: [email protected] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk theboar.org theboar.org/News | @BoarNews | NEWSNews 3 Deutsche Bank Financial support can only take you so far db.com/careers Agile minds know how to go further Warwick5566_011_DB_Banner_265x36_B.indd 1 Labour and Anti-Racism society in dispute24/10/2012 17:23 April Roach statement containing our disap- for both incidents was “coerced” The executive member claimed state that Warwick Labour did not Ann Yip pointment that Labour would ‘apol- and unapologetic for “attempting that Warwick Labour were asking taken any action at the Question ogise’ with apologism for racism. to justify those ‘racist terms’”. for an apology from WARSoc and Time event this year: “There was There has been a dispute be- “Warwick Labour then reported A former executive member of that their allegations “have been no action taken at the time, no one tween Warwick Labour and Anti-Racism Society to the SU and Warwick Labour spoke to the Boar, proven false and defamatory”. stepped in, no one condemned the Warwick Anti-Racism socie- claimed that we were being libel- and claimed that the offensive com- He also said that “a number of sentiments there and then.” ty (WARSoc) concerning al- ous.