Opinion: Free Speech Means Nothing Anymore
by Lorna Finlayson
It’s tempting to rebut cancel culture panics by insisting that nobody has literally been silenced. This buys into a rightwing notion of free speech, argues philosopher Lorna Finlayson.
Tag: free speech
Live: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Not Over
While it may seem the Covid-19 pandemic in Britain is ending, this week saw global case levels higher than ever before. We speak to Deepti Gurdasani about the ongoing global coronavirus crisis.
Live: Police Violence at Third Bristol Protest
On Friday Bristol saw its third protest against the policing bill in 6 days. We speak to Adam Cantwell-Corn, co-founder of The Bristol Cable, who reported from the scene.
Opinion: The Tories Think Decolonising the Curriculum Means Censorship. They Couldn’t Be More Wrong
by Ali Meghji
Decolonisation isn't "taking bits out" of history, as one minister put it. It's filling in the gaps, writes sociology lecturer and curriculum decoloniser Ali Meghji.
Downstream: Is the Left Failing on Free Speech? Interview With Ronan Burtenshaw
Does the right actually care about free speech? Why should free speech matter to the left? Aaron Bastani speaks to editor of Tribune Magazine, Ronan Burtenshaw.
Opinion: To the Free Speech Warriors of the Right, Only Some Speech Matters
by Barnaby Raine
We shouldn’t be confused by the Tories championing free speech one moment, suppressing it the next. It’s always been perfectly clear whose speech matters to them, argues Barnaby Raine.
Ash Wednesday: Are Right-wingers an Oppressed Minority?
Ash Sarkar explores how the language of minoritarian grievance has been appropriated by the most powerful people in political media.
Opinion: Lawfare is an Attack on Free Speech and a Threat to Democracy
by Keir Milburn
A journalist suing his critics is an egregious attack on democratic norms, writes Keir Milburn. To fight back effectively, we must situate attempts to silence the left within a wider, global trend of limiting democracy and extending free speech only to those who can afford it.
Live: Cancel Culture, Cancelled?
Are censorious lefties on twitter undermining free speech, and putting at risk the foundations of a liberal society. Or – are wealthy celebrities annoyed they are, for once, being held to account for their ill-thought out and prejudiced opinions? Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani and Ash Sarkar discuss.
Boris Johnson is Courting the Far-Right
by Aaron Bastani
Boris Johnson's Islamophobic comments earlier this week weren't an unforced gaffe. The far-right is on the march, and with his eye on the prize of 10 Downing Street Boris is keen to impress them, argues Aaron Bastani.
Tommy Robinson and His Mates Don’t Really Care About Abused Kids or Terrorism
by Benjamin Walters
Tommy Robinson doesn’t care about preventing child abuse, fighting terrorism or protecting free speech. He only cares about pushing his racist agenda and using the suffering of others to advance his own career, argues Benjamin Walters.
Tears of Oil: The Case of Ashraf Fayadh, Condemned to Death in Saudi Arabia
by Ben Morris
Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on Saturday to widespread condemnation. Meanwhile Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh is currently fighting a death sentence for apostasy, supported by artist groups rallying against tyranny.
8 Things to Consider About the Charlie Hebdo Massacre
by Emily Muna
The fallout from the Charlie Hebdo massacre is ongoing, from 'national unity' rallies to attacks on mosques. Some have held up the Charlie Hebdo journalists as martyrs of free speech while others have attacked the magazine as racist and Islamophobic. Here are eight factors to look at further.