'No platform' in historical and contemporary context -- Fascism, anti-fascism and free speech before 'no platform' -- The student movement and the prelude to 'no platform' -- The National Union of Students and 'no platform' in the 1970s -- Expanding 'no platform' in the 1980s -- Hard right politicians and student protests at universities in the 1980s -- Into the twenty first century -- Why 'no platform' matters.
Summary:
"This book is the first to outline the history of the tactic of 'no platforming' at British universities since the 1970s, looking at more than four decades of student protest against racist and fascist figures on campus. The tactic of 'no platform' has been used at British universities and colleges since the National Union of Students adopted the policy in the mid-1970s. The author traces the origins of the tactic from the militant anti-fascism of the 1930s-40s and looks at how it has developed since the 1970s, being applied to various targets over the last forty years, including sexists, homophobes, right-wing politicians and Islamic fundamentalists. This book a historical intervention in the current debates over the alleged free speech 'crisis' perceived to be plaguing universities in Britain, as well as North America and Australasia. No Platform: A History of Anti-Fascism, Universities and the Limits of Free Speech is for academics and students, as well as the general reader, interested in modern British history, politics and higher education. Readers interested in contemporary debates over freedom of speech and academic freedom will also have much to find in this book"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.