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French far-right Front National (FN) party president Marine Le Pen Blondet Eliot/ABACA /PA Images

Web Summit founder withdraws invite for far-right leader Marine Le Pen to 2018 event

Paddy Cosgrave had earlier defended the decision to host Le Pen at the November event.

LAST UPDATE | 15 Aug 2018

THE FOUNDER OF the Lisbon Web Summit has withdrawn an invite for French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to its annual tech conference later this year, after earlier defending the decision to invite her to the event.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Le Pen – who is president of the National Rally party – would appear at the event, which will be held in the Portuguese capital from 5-8 November.

The move proved controversial in a country where a far-right dictatorship was in place until 1974.

Changing mind

In a series of tweets this afternoon, Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave said it was “now clear” to him that the correct decision was to rescind Le Pen’s invitation.

“Based on advice we have received and the large reaction online overnight, her presence is disrespectful in particular to our host country,” Cosgrave said. “It is also disrespectful to some of the many tens of thousands of attendees who join us from around the world.”

He said that, in future, the Web Summit would approach issues of hate, freedom of expression and platform technologies “with more care”.

Cosgrave added that the summit had added private and public stages “specifically for robust dialogue on contentious and defining issues of our time”, but added “we’ve still much to learn”.

Earlier

In a web-post written last night, Cosgrave admitted that while he felt Le Pen’s views were “wrongheaded”, he believed that they would be adequately challenged by “professional journalist” at the event.

Citing the fundamental right to free speech, he said: “Web Summit is a place where people should be prepared to have their opinions deeply challenged, and in turn to deeply challenge the opinions of others.”

He also said that more than 30% of French voters selected Le Pen to be their candidate in last year’s presidential election, and argued that “banning or attempting to ignore” her views would do little to address the cause of why they exist.

PADDY COSGRAVE Founder of Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave Sam Boal / Rollingnews Sam Boal / Rollingnews / Rollingnews

“Ultimately the easy decision is to turn Web Summit into a commercially safe space by precluding views, both economic and political, that may cause offense to our commercial partners and other stakeholders,” he added.

“Excluding those who are “too socialist” or “too nationalistic” or “too extreme” from Web Summit would, I assure you, be a very easy and very pragmatic decision for us to take as a business.”

However, Cosgrave also said that if the Portuguese government asked the summit’s organisers to cancel Le Pen’s invitation, they would “of course respect that request” and do so immediately.

Last year, Cosgrave was forced to apologise after Portugal’s Prime Minister criticised him for holding an “offensive” dinner at Lisbon’s National Pantheon, where a number of the country’s important national figures are buried.

There was also controversy in 2016 when a number of people who had paid up to €5,000 for tickets to the conference were forced to watch events from screens outside.

With reporting from Sean Murray

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    Mute samstheman
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    May 20th 2019, 8:08 AM

    Absolutely no place for this at any sports ground. They’re a disgrace to their county & should be barred from venues for life

    477
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    Mute páraicS
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    May 20th 2019, 8:41 AM

    @samstheman: They were kids, give them a break.

    54
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    Mute reg gordon
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    May 20th 2019, 8:49 AM

    @páraicS: To be fair in any other sport they would see some sort of ban. By not doing so the gaa are in some way allowing this behavior to spread.
    I’m a similar note I saw an underage hurling game on my local park whilst walking my dog where there was a proper fight on the pitch between 2 players where they had to be separated. Neither was sanctioned( or even told to shake hands afterwards) that’s really poor behavior from the coaches

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    Mute Anthony
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    May 20th 2019, 8:49 AM

    @páraicS: they weren’t ‘kids’ . Look at the footage. They were youths. And they were a disgrace. Pure thugs

    148
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    Mute samstheman
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    May 20th 2019, 9:03 AM

    @páraicS: big enough for kids. I stand by my comment. Then they got off with a caution. Joke, interestingly if they were Dubs what would you have to say?

    65
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    Mute thephantomshit
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    May 20th 2019, 9:15 AM

    @Anthony: what’s a youth? If I host an under 15s soccer match is it a game between a gang of youths?

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    Mute Paul Holland
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    May 20th 2019, 9:35 AM

    @páraicS: I would say the people harassed or intimidated because of their carry on also deserve a break

    39
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    Mute Eamonn Ó Maoldomhnaigh
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    May 20th 2019, 10:12 AM

    @páraicS: Kids ? They were given Adult cautions, Kids my ass!
    Imagine the damage there could have been done by their behaviour and come back and tell us to give them a break.

    37
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    Mute Anthony
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    May 20th 2019, 10:30 AM

    @thephantomshit: they were older than 15. Look at the footage.

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    May 20th 2019, 10:39 AM

    @páraicS: Nope.

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    Mute Tim Oleary
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    May 20th 2019, 11:01 AM

    @páraicS: noisy disruptive teenagers can be a nuisance at games to spectators near them needing the Guards to be called. Responsibility called for.

    15
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    Mute John Kelly
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    May 20th 2019, 12:19 PM

    @páraicS: cops should have given both of them a good clipping. Teach them some manners.

    16
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    Mute Richard James
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    May 20th 2019, 12:22 PM

    @páraicS: They got their break by not being charged, but why should paying spectators have to endure gobshyte behaviour from people at a match, regardless of age?

    24
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    Mute Danny McCarthy
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    May 20th 2019, 4:12 PM

    @John Kelly: bring back nidge, they need to be clipped.
    Everyone is responsible for their own actions, I’d say their families are proud of them today. If u keep messing with fire u get burnt & these guys have a long way to go if they keep lighting fires.

    3
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    Mute Don Dealgan
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    May 20th 2019, 8:46 PM

    @reg gordon: gaa use kid gloves wth onfield violence likewise wth thuggery on terraces

    1
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    Mute samstheman
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    May 20th 2019, 11:17 PM

    @Don Dealgan: the GAA didn’t let them go with an “adult caution” the Gardai did

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    Mute Tim Oleary
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    May 21st 2019, 10:55 AM

    @samstheman: talk a bit of sense. Don’t be trying to excuse this rowdyism. People like you add to the problem.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 20th 2019, 8:31 AM

    Too much Clonmel apple juice….

    227
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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    May 20th 2019, 10:42 AM

    There seems to be a developing culture of phuckwits in the last year at hurling matches. I was at the Limerick match yesterday and there was a gang of aroud 40 neanderthals roaring out soccer chants for the whole match. These vermin have no place at hurling games and this must be nipped in the bud now.

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    Mute Seán Ó Murchú
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    May 20th 2019, 10:56 AM

    @Ronan Sexton: People were singing songs at a match and you got upset? Think you need a new hobby.

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    May 20th 2019, 4:46 PM

    @Seán Ó Murchú: No Sean, are yout comprehension skills that bad? There are night classes for that.

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    Mute Adolf Galland
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    May 20th 2019, 8:29 AM

    Why were Tipp fans beating up Tipp fans????

    90
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    Mute shellakybooky
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    May 20th 2019, 9:54 AM

    @Adolf Galland: drink

    61
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    Mute Ed
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    May 20th 2019, 10:33 AM

    This isn’t the first time Tipperary supporters have been fighting each other at matches. There should be a ban on intoxicated people going into matches.

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    Mute Seanie Bourke
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    May 20th 2019, 2:09 PM

    @Ed: when was d other time

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    Mute Colm O'Sullivan
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    May 20th 2019, 10:34 AM

    Unbelievable they were let go.

    Their actions both warranted being charged with public order offences, the little thug on the left in the video being the chief culprit, its an assault in broad daylight with hundreds of witnesses for christ’s sake.

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    Mute tubbsyf
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    May 20th 2019, 1:57 PM

    points deduction for Tipp

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    Mute Tom49
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    May 20th 2019, 9:55 PM

    @tubbsyf: you can have 17 points of you’re from Waterford

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    Mute Liam Mc Meel
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    May 20th 2019, 10:30 AM

    Ah sure it only a bit of banter

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    Mute Ollie Watson
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    May 20th 2019, 8:11 AM

    Yup 50 year old Saracens fans Nayo

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    Mute matthew o reilly
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    May 20th 2019, 11:09 PM

    If that was the Dubs.liveline would get 2 weeks out of it

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    Mute Michael O'Driscoll
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    May 20th 2019, 6:51 PM

    Wildlings.

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