19 February 2013 Last updated at 12:10 ET

Le Pen's Cambridge appearance attracts protesters

Protesters gathered outside the Cambridge Union building on Bridge Street

About 200 people have protested in Cambridge ahead of the French politician Marine Le Pen's appearance at a university debating society.

The leader of France's far-right party Front National was invited to speak by the Cambridge Union Society.

The society's president, Ben Kentish, said: "To silence views we might find extreme or abhorrent is a dangerous step in a bad direction."

The protest has been organised by Unite Against Fascism.

Fabby Dhalu, joint secretary from the the anti-fascist group, said it was not against freedom of speech.

"We have to remember the total devastation of the fascist-led World War II, when almost 70m people lost their lives worldwide," she said.

"Those people who lost their lives did so in name of freedom - it's the fascists who oppose freedom."

Mr Kentish said: "The union's about the exchange of ideas, and our members are very adept at robustly questioning a wide range of speakers."