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University of Oxford chancellor defends Cecil Rhodes statue

Lord Patten says campaign against Cecil Rhodes statue is "unfortunate"

The chancellor of Oxford University has said that campaigners for the removal of the statue of Victorian colonialist Cecil Rhodes from outside an Oxford college may not be suited to study at the university.

Lord Patten told the Today programme that if Oxford students did not demonstrate a 鈥済enerosity of spirit鈥 towards history and respect for the principle of free speech 鈥渢hey should think about being educated elsewhere鈥.

Campaigners have said the prominent statue of the 鈥渞acist, enslaving murderer鈥 makes students feel threatened and have called for the statue to be placed in a museum.

But Lord Patten said their call for safe spaces was a 鈥渢errible, terrible idea鈥 and that the move to prevent 鈥減latforming鈥 of certain individuals would create 鈥渁 bland diet of bran鈥 for student discussion.

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