Editorials

What Annoyed the Internet This Week?

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8 October 2018

By Bronwen

I’ve been spoilt for choice this week when deciding what to make the focus of this column. The last few days have really been a week of rage for the Internet and the Tories have been the focus of a lot of it. We’ve had some questionable dance moves at the Conservative Party conference, members of a University Conservative Society have been exposed for being racist and antisemitic, and a Conservative MP asked why siblings can’t get civil partnerships. Not a good week for the Tories.

I usually try and keep this column (semi) light-hearted but the story about the Conservative Society really struck a nerve with me.

The Conservative Society at the University of Plymouth has been disbanded after this photo emerged of its members covered in offensive graffiti.

Visible in this photo is:

  • a Hitler moustache
  • ‘Jude’- the German word for Jew (Jewish people in Nazi Germany were forced to wear a Star of David with ‘Jude’ written on it).
  • ‘Fuck the NHS’
  • ‘Enoch was right’
  • a white power hand gesture

I don’t even want to know what the graffiti that we can’t see says. The picture went viral on Facebook and has sparked an investigation by Conservative HQ.

Cue the ‘political-correctness-infringes-on-our-free-speech’ side of Twitter:

Yes, Andrew, racism and antisemitism is just banter that white people have a birthright to enjoy. Never mind how unwelcome this must make Jewish or other minority students feel at Plymouth University.

The scariest part for me is that these students could all have ambitions to go into politics and end up being the ones who write policies on hate crime.

I believe it is absolutely right that the Labour Party has been called out for antisemitism and now the Tories need to accept that it is highly present in their party too.

Thankfully, these students haven’t got away with it.

Plymouth University issued this statement: “The University does not tolerate anti-Semitic or racist behaviour under any circumstance and will take disciplinary action in line with our procedures in the event of incidents such as this.”

A spokesman for the Conservative Party said: “We are investigating and will suspend those people identified as members of the party.”

Remember these faces. Let’s hope we don’t see any of them crop up in a few years time as MPs or councillors..

 

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