Freedom of speech and the left

471 posts / 0 new

Wed, 2024-03-13 17:57

epaulo13

Premier acknowledges antisemitism in B.C. public service, vows to root it out

Premier David Eby acknowledged Friday that B.C. has a “serious problem with rising antisemitism” and that government employees have had antisemitic experiences within the public service.

“This issue exists in schools, in civil society, within private employers, and I believe that people have had antisemitic experiences within the government B.C. public service,” Eby told reporters during an unrelated press conference in Vancouver.

“My commitment to the community is that we will work together to root this out.”

Eby’s statement followed a meeting with Jewish leaders on Friday where they expressed their disappointment with the treatment of Selina Robinson, a Jewish MLA who on Wednesday resigned from the B.C. NDP caucus over a failure to address allegations of antisemitism among her fellow MLAs.....

Fri, 2024-03-15 09:05

#453

NDPP

A Timeline of Anti-Palestinian Violence and Threats Since October 7 in Canada

https://www.readthemaple.com/a-timeline-of-anti-palestinian-violence-and...

"Pro-Israeli protesters have managed to avoid mass political scrutiny despite alleged criminal actions..."

'Friends' in high places?

Sun, 2024-03-17 11:27

#454

epaulo13

Tell Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library to Not Censor Palestinian Voices

Why this petition matters

The Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library was scheduled to screen the Palestinian film 200 Meters on March 17. Community members worked with the library to organize this film screening, and they chose the film from the library's own catalogue. 200 Meters tells the story of a Palestinian man, Mustafa, living in the West Bank. His wife Salwa, lives in Israel with their children. When their son is injured, Mustafa attempts to travel to the Israeli side legally but his passage is declined due to a technical issue. He is forced to take a more dangerous route.

After the advertisement was released for this movie screening, the library decided to cancel the event due to concerns received that the movie may incite violence and antisemitism. This is simply baseless as a simple google search will reveal raving reviews and awards won by the writer-director Ameen Nayfeh and actor Ali Suliman for 200 Meters. Los Angeles Times reviewed by Noel Murray on Dec. 9, 2022 reads “The movie is mostly about Mustafa himself, a loving father and husband who endures whatever he has to in order to provide for his family. But as played by Suliman — with his kind eyes and thoughtful demeanor — Mustafa’s burdens feel especially undue.” Bradford West Gwillimbury Library had stringently vetted the content and deemed it appropriate and in line with values of our community to include it in their catalogue.....

Sun, 2024-03-24 18:07

#455

epaulo13

..on the global front. love what she told the cop.

Police accused of stifling protest after Manchester arrest over Palestine chant

quote:

Khawaja, who is of Palestinian heritage, said she was on the microphone at the 29 February demonstration when a police officer approached and threatened her with arrest for chanting the words.

She ignored him, telling the Guardian: “In response, I said [on the microphone], ‘We are vilified and demonised for calling for our liberation. When we say from the river to the sea, we are calling for liberation after 75 years of colonisation. How dare you – the police – come to us and say that we can’t call for our liberation and try and censor us?’

“We resumed the chanting quite deliberately, as a way of saying, ‘You’re not going to silence us because there’s no basis for you to arrest us.’”

She said less than a minute later officers dragged her to a police van. Khawaja said she was held in custody for about 13 hours before being interviewed for 10 minutes at Bury police station. It was another couple of hours before she was released on bail, at around 1am.

“They said: ‘You’ve been arrested for racially aggravated public order because from the river to the sea is racially aggravated speech,’” she said. “They never said who it was directed towards, even though the solicitor asked them who were the persons supposedly being harassed or targeted. They went quiet – the police didn’t answer the question.”

She was bailed until 28 May on condition that she is not in a group of more than three people (except family), does not enter Manchester city centre (except for a legal, medical or educational appointment), approach any Elbit-associated company or contact anyone else arrested at the demonstration. The Guardian understands that another woman was arrested for the chant, while others taking part in a simultaneous separate Palestine Action occupation of BNY Mellon’s office were also detained.

“Six words got me four bail conditions,” said Khawaja. “It’s absolutely ridiculous. They clearly are trying to suppress the right to protest. And there were other people chanting the same phrase as I was getting arrested and nothing happened – why specifically [target] someone who is Palestinian?”.....

Mon, 2024-03-25 13:03

#456

epaulo13

..more from the global front.

Jewish activist told to remove Palestine flag responds

Last week, police in south London knocked on the door of a Jewish resident, Tamar, and asked her to remove a pro-Palestine sign and flag from the window of her home. She refused and delivered this speech at a rally this weekend in response

This is not how I planned to start my speech, but I wanted to share something that happened to me. Yesterday, as I was getting ready to have Shabbat dinner with my children, two police officers knocked on my door. They asked me to remove my A4 sign that reads ‘Jews for a Free Palestine’ and the 5”x8” Palestinian flag from the window of my personal house.

They shared that there had been complaints of people feeling ‘uncomfortable’ by it. I outright refused (and immediately started searching where to buy a bigger flag!). The police, the media and the politicians are so scared of the growing number of people protesting Israel’s genocide that they are now attempting to intimidate and silence us in our own homes. But let us be clear: we will not be silenced!

quote:

The role of these international protests since Israel’s most recent attack on Palestine cannot be misconstrued. These coordinated shows of solidarity have kept Gaza and the suffering of Palestinians on the front pages. We have forced the ICJ to call out Israel’s actions for what they are: genocidal. For the very first time, Westminster has been forced to openly talk about Gaza, despite wishing they could brush their support for Israel under the rug. Unfortunately, these same politicians showed their true Islamophobic colours by turning the question of a ceasefire into a vile Islamophobic tirade, branding protesters as extremists and terrorists.

With 66% of people in this country wanting an immediate ceasefire, this attempt by the politicians and the media to discredit us as ‘extremists’ and ‘anti-Semitic’ is not working. Millions of people are watching in horror the crimes that Israel is committing in Gaza, the West Bank and in Israel itself. We not only demand a ceasefire now, but we call for the liberation of the Palestinian people from decades of Israeli occupation. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!’

It should be noted that since the police visit to my house to request that I take down my pro-Palestine sign, my neighbours have decided to stand in solidarity and hang very large Palestinian flags from their own homes......

Mon, 2024-03-25 14:29

(Reply to #456) #457

JKR

epaulo13 wrote:

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

From the river to the sea, Palestinians and Israelis will both be free living side by side in peace!

Fri, 2024-04-05 16:29

#458

josh

We have both taught at N.Y.U. for over a decade and believe we are in a moment of unparalleled repression. Over the past six months, since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, we have seen the university administration fail to adequately protect dissent on campus, actively squelching it instead. We believe what we are witnessing in response to student, staff and faculty opposition to the war violates the very foundations of academic freedom.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/opinion/free-speech-academic-freedom....

Wed, 2024-04-10 02:22

#459

NDPP

Trudeau's 'Online Harms Bill' Threatens Free Speech

https://twitter.com/dimitrilascaris/status/1777410939312132374

"The Trudeau government's 'Online Harms' legislation is a backdoor, censorship scheme concocted in Washington.

The legislation constitutes a serious threat to Canadians' freedom of speech.

We should oppose it - whatever your political orientation may be.

You can read my analysis here..."

Canadian 'friendly fascism' has arrived. Best arrest the disease or prepare for the unfriendly variety. Servility and silence won't save us. Organize, learn, fight back. Start now.

Wed, 2024-04-10 15:15

#460

Mobo2000

Margret Atwood also opposes. https://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood/status/1766323300853297262

A trend across the western world now, with the new hate crime laws in Ireland and Scotland recently introduced and others being discussed in the EU and Australia.

NYT on Canada's bill:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/world/canada/canada-hate-speech.html

"The comprehensive bill calls for civil and criminal penalties on hate speech, a move that has provoked the strongest opposition. One provision would, for the first time in Canada, establish hate as a separate crime that would encompass both written and physical acts. Currently, depending on the circumstances, hate can be added as an element to other criminal offenses but cannot be charged as a separate crime. The government argues that making it a separate crime would make it easier to track offenses." ...

"The Canadian Civil Liberties Association criticized the bill, saying it would lead to “overbroad violations of expressive freedom, privacy, protest rights and liberty,” and would give a new regulatory agency the power to be “judge, jury and executioner.”

Thu, 2024-04-11 11:31

#461

6079_Smith_W

Anyone else here remember when the RCMP raided the University of Calgary reference library (in 1984!) and seized Nazi material, only to have to return it a few days later when they were roundly mocked?

Or complaints in the 90s that new child pornography laws would result in charges over garden cherubs and family photo albums, and raids on art galleries?

Or the Whatcott decision, or the Ahenakew trial?

I am not saying there is nothing to be concerned about here, but there is a reason why some laws are written to cover a lot more than seems necessary. That goes double for the wild west of the internet. We already have a new law about sharing images without permission which if taken by the letter could see most of us charged. The real scope comes out in the application, and in the courts.

So while it is important to pay attention to this one, it is hardly black and white. And as omniscient as Margaret Atwood might seem riding on the popularity of her books, it isn't like she hasn't been tone deaf before (I am thinking of her "bad feminist" editorial). Her reaction here is more hair on fire than constructive.

Fri, 2024-04-12 04:32

#462

josh

Jewish faculty reject the weaponization of antisemitism.

https://www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2024/04/10/jewish-faculty-reje...

The weaponization of anti-Semitism in the service of a political state is one of the great dangers to free speech and academic freedom.

Fri, 2024-04-12 13:43

#463

josh

Berlin police just canceled the entire Palestine Congress. I was the only speaker that successfully finished a speech.

Salman Abu Sitta was cut off after 1 minute. Our livestream ended and electricity cut off.

This is Germany.

https://x.com/hebh_jamal/status/1778808240878346688

Sat, 2024-04-13 10:55

#464

josh

Germany's Interior Ministry has issued a “Betätigungsverbot” against me, a ban on any political activity. Not just a ban on visiting Germany but also from participation via Zoom. Here is the speech whose publication caused this ban. Judge for yourselves!

https://x.com/yanisvaroufakis/status/1779138753061068918

Tue, 2024-04-16 11:23

#465

josh

The Office of the Provost sent an email Monday to the student body announcing that the valedictorian will not be speaking at this year’s graduation.

“Anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian voices have subjected me to a campaign of racist hatred because of my uncompromising belief in human rights for all… I was hoping to use my commencement speech to inspire my classmates with a message of hope. By canceling my speech, USC is only caving to fear and rewarding hatred,” Tabassum said in her two-page statement.

https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2024/04/15/provost-announces-valedicto...

Tue, 2024-04-16 19:51

#466

NDPP

USC Cancels Muslim Valedictorian After Pro-Israel Groups Objections

https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/1780287558519238702

"This is what the US Supreme Court called 'the Heckler's Veto' on free speech. Any fanatical, pro-genocide, Zionist group can whine that it feels 'hurt' or 'threatened' by speech about Palestine, and it gets shut down..."

Wed, 2024-04-17 13:51

#467

epaulo13

Yanis Varoufakis: Germany Is Banning Pro-Palestinians

Yanis Varoufakis was scheduled to deliver a video message to a Palestine conference in Berlin on Friday — but police shut down the event. Varoufakis tells Jacobin how the Germans silenced him and why they’ve now banned him from entering the country....

Wed, 2024-04-17 13:54

#468

epaulo13

..from above.

quote:

YANIS VAROUFAKIS

The purpose was very straightforward: an immediate cease-fire and a peace process to safeguard equal political rights for everyone living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. That very straightforward and humanist agenda can never be described as Islamist or antisemitic. But there is a pattern here.

Back in November, another comrade and friend of mine, Iris Hefets, a Jewish-Israeli psychoanalyst who lives in Berlin, staged a one-woman protest. She walked around a square carrying a placard saying, “As an Israeli and as a Jew, stop the genocide in Gaza,” and a white German police officer arrested her for antisemitism! It would have been farcical if it weren’t so tragic.....