Charlie Hebdo: Queen’s University Belfast’s ‘cancelled’ conference underway

A conference discussing the fallout from the Charlie Hebdo murders has begun at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Vice chancellor Patrick Johnston had initially cancelled the event.

In an email to delegates, he cited concerns about the university’s reputation and the security risk to delegates.

Mr Johnston reversed his decision following completion of a comprehensive risk assessment.

Twelve people died when two brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, fired on journalists on 7 January, at the satirical magazine’s offices in Paris.

Five others were killed over the following two days by one of their associates.

The conference, Understanding Charlie: New perspectives on contemporary citizenship after Charlie Hebdo, is hosted by QUB’s Institute for Collaborative Research in the Humanities.

The university came under sustained criticism from novelists, poets, academics and intellectuals over the initial cancellation of the symposium.

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