On Wednesday 11 November 2026, the CCR (Conference of Common Rooms) met to discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding the invite of Nathan Cofnas to an event hosted by Oxford University Reform Society at Oriel College. The event is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 17 November 2026, therefore giving students only 24 hours to vote on the CCR ‘No Hate at Oxford Motion’, which closed at 12:30 earlier today (Thursday 12 November).

With the voting now closed, it has been confirmed that the motion has been approved. 38 student representatives voted for the motion, with only St. Hugh’s College MCR voting against.

The motion was divided into two sections: policy and mandate. The first element of the former was the release of a staement by the SU that condemned the invite of Nathan Cofnas to the event. It also called on Oriel College to publish its freedom of speech legal analysis and risk assessment, as explained in the motion itself. The statement condemned any actions that could be detrimental to the diversity, equality, and inclusion within Oxford.

The Conference sought for ‘mitigation processes’ to be put in place by Oriel College in order to support students living in college at the time of this event. The Oxford Blue is not certain at this time what these processes would entail, however Oriel College Provost Lord Mendoza stressed that the event had been moved within Oriel College to a room away from any occupied student accommodation. During the meeting on 11 November, there was concern raised for the wellbeing of students at other surrounding colleges, including Merton College and Lincoln College, in light of the protest that is scheduled to take place in Oriel Square at the same time as Cofnas’ talk. It was explained that the drafting of the motion took place before the protests were confirmed, and therefore the priority when drafting the motion was to ensure the safety of those living within Oriel. Representatives from colleges in the vicinity of Oriel Square were encouraged to ask for similar processes to be put in place for its students.

The motion also sought an independent review of the risk assessment and approval process of the event. During the extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, the risk assessment was a widely-discussed topic, with many doubting whether it had been conducted thoroughly enough. In light of this, the motion has also required that an equality impact assessment form a part of all risk assessments of events that take place on university premises in the future. Furthermore, the motion called for college common room representatives to be included in campus event risk assessment, as well as their organisation and execution. The Conference supports the notion that student representatives have the right to advocate on behalf of their student body when it comes to sensitive events, with it being noted at the meeting that the student population at Oriel College were dissatisfied with hosting Cofnas at the event.

The mandates include asking for University Proctors or a different ‘qualified independent supervisor’ to attend the event on Tuesday in order to ensure that no speech violates the Equality Act 2010. At the meeting on Wednesday, there was a feeling of disillusionment, as members of the CCR had initially been led to believe that this would be the case anyway.

The motion goes on to consider the welfare of students as a result of the event, asking that student support systems for reporting racial discrimination be communicated. It also aimed to use £1000 to support student-led events that ‘promote inclusion and celebrate diverse experiences’. Roxana Rusu, SU President for Communities and Common Rooms, stated that this would initially be limited to Michaelmas 2026, although it could then be reviewed on a rolling basis afterwards. Further details of this will be released at 16:00 today (Thursday 12 November).

It has also been reported that vandalism took place at Oriel College in the early hours of Thursday 12 November. The Rhodes statue in the college has been placed in a mask that resembles the KKK (Klu Klux Klan), with a sign reading ‘RACISTS WELCOME HERE’ in red ink. The state was said to be targeted by Led by Donkeys, a campaign group that was founded in 2018.