George and the Tories
The much-anticipated appearance of rebel MP George Galloway at the Town Hall last Friday passed without disturbance, despite earlier expectations of a 150-strong protest by members of the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA).
OUCA had intended to picket the public meeting, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, in objection to "the uncritical environment he [Galloway] had to air his views". The 22 members that did attend the meeting caused Galloway little trouble, merely refusing to clap.
The protest, for which OUCA claims "upwards of 150 had registered" was cancelled following confusion about whether Galloway would actually come to speak. The Oxford Mail reported that the MP had been banned by the City Council, but it quickly became clear that doubt surrounding his attendance was the result of a misunderstanding.
Townsend remained under the false impression, until mid-afternoon on Friday, that the meeting was off having seen posters at the Town Hall to this effect, thus failing to give The Telegraph, who had been scheduled to cover the protest, sufficient warning.
It was then decided that the infiltration of "a small, highly motivated group of OUCA members into the meeting" would be the most effective means of protest. Townsend told of how afterwards "OUCA decamped to a pub for a drink", where "it was decided that the protest was a great success".
During the meeting, Galloway ridiculed both the idea that the Council of a "city with such a history of free thought" would ban him from speaking and the rumour that "undercover OUCA activists would penetrate the meeting".
22nd May 2003