Three years ago, we discussed the conviction of a British man for “toxic ideologies,” under the draconian laws criminalizing inciteful or dangerous speech. The erosion of free speech appears to have only accelerated in the UK. As is often the case, the attacks on free speech increase during periods of unrest, anger or fear. With the recent anti-immigration riots, British authorities have used their laws to round up a large number of citizens expressing anti-immigrant views and some have already been convicted. Those cases include Wayne O’Rourke, 35, who has been sentenced to three years in prison for “stirring up racial hatred.”
As I have previously written, the riots were triggered by false reports spread online about the person responsible for an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that left three girls dead and others wounded. Despite false claims about his being an asylum seeker, the alleged culprit was an 18-year-old British citizen born to Rwandan parents.
The government and news outlets were quick to challenge these accounts, but violent riots have raged across the country, including such despicable acts as burning immigrant housing.
There is no question that the government should crack down on such violence and arrest those engaging in criminal conduct. However, the government immediately pursued those who were expressing hateful or inciteful views.
In my book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss the collapse of free speech protections in Europe and the United Kingdom specifically. That discussion includes the case of Nicholas Brock, 52, who was convicted for his collection of racist and extreme right material in his home. Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) acknowledged that others might collect such items for historical or academic purposes but Brock crossed the line because he agreed with the underlying views:
“From the overwhelming evidence shown to the jury, it is clear Brock had material which demonstrates he went far beyond the legitimate actions of a military collector…Brock showed a clear right-wing ideology with the evidence seized from his possessions during the investigation….We are committed to tackling all forms of toxic ideology which has the potential to threaten public safety and security.”
That “commitment” is evident in a slew of arrests after the recent riots.
The United Kingdom is an example of what I describe as a pattern of “rage rhetoric” becoming “state rage” in these periods of unrest.
Once again, many of these postings are worthy of condemnation as racist and inflammatory. Many of us have done so. Defending free speech is not a defense of the underlying viewpoints but rather the right to express opposing viewpoints. Good speech can then rebut the bad speech.
The United Kingdom is now committed to silencing opposing views through censorship and criminal charges. As discussed in the book, such laws have never succeeded in history. Not once. They have never killed “toxic ideologies” or deterred any movement. What they do is suppress the free speech of everyone in an ill-conceived effort to legislatively ban hate in society.
An example is found in Germany, which has long had some of the most harsh censorship and criminalization laws.
According to polling, only 18 percent of Germans feel free to express their opinions in public. Fifty-nine percent of Germans do not even feel free expressing themselves in private among friends. Only 17 percent feel free to express themselves on the internet.
They have silenced the wrong people, but there is now a massive censorship bureaucracy in Europe and the desire to silence opposing voices has become insatiable.
Recently, I wrote about the chilling message of Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley that not only will British authorities arrest citizens for anti-immigration postings but may pursue others in countries like the United States for stirring up trouble.
Now, they are imprisoning “keyboard warriors,” who express inciteful thoughts.
According to the local Lincolnshire Free Press, O’Rourke encouraged his 90,000 followers to join the protests and told them how to remain anonymous during protests. That is similar to many posts on the left by groups like Antifa.
O’Rourke wrote such postings as “People of Southport where the f**k are you, get out on the street,” “give them hell lads,” and “Sunderland, go on lads.”
Notably, his counsel Lucia Harrington assured the court that her client wants to “re-educate” himself on these issues.
His self-imposed “reeducation” was not enough for Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight, who denounced O’Rourke and “[t]he flames fanned by keyboard warriors like you.”
Lincolnshire Chief Superintendent Kate Anderson promised more such cases for those espousing disfavored views: “This charge demonstrates that we will take fast and decisive action against anyone suspected of sharing harmful content online. We retain a commitment to proactively police and keep people safe across the county.”
Many others have been similarly charged. That includes first offender William Nelson Morgan, 69, who was seen holding a stick and refusing to disperse at a protest at a library in West Yorkshire. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison even though he did not take part in rioting. While there can be legitimate charges and penalties for a failure to disperse, the roughly three-year sentence seems fueled on the content of his viewpoints rather than his specific actions.
Likewise, Billy Thompson, 31, received 12 weeks in jail for posting emojis depicting minorities and a gun with inflammatory language. He did not participate in the rioting.
There are many more such cases being reported daily.
As in Germany, years of prosecuting free speech has achieved nothing beyond chilling the speech of all citizens. For years, I have been writing about the decline of free speech in the United Kingdom and the steady stream of arrests.
A man was convicted for sending a tweet while drunk referring to dead soldiers. Another was arrested for an anti-police t-shirt. Another was arrested for calling the Irish boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend a “leprechaun.” Yet another was arrested for singing “Kung Fu Fighting.” A teenager was arrested for protesting outside of a Scientology center with a sign calling the religion a “cult.”
There is an alternative to criminalizing speech. You can punish criminal conduct including proportionate sentencing for the failure to disperse. You can then allow free speech to combat false or hateful viewpoints. British politicians have acknowledged that a large number of citizens hold anti-immigration views. Cracking down on such viewpoints will change few minds and likely only reaffirm the anger directed against the government.
Opposition to these laws has fallen to a dwindling number of free speech advocates in the UK, including author J.K. Rowling. Rowling has opposed a Scottish law, the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, that criminalizes speech viewed as “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. That crime covers insulting comments and anything “that a reasonable person would consider to be threatening or abusive.”
For those in the United States who have remained silent in the face of our own anti-free speech movement, Europe offers a glimpse into our future if we do not fight to preserve this indispensable right.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster).
Rowan Atkinson’s brilliant comment on the right to be obnoxious and to insult.
https://youtu.be/GHyPRnrLnzA?si=WBeoKU8CmPPEh3ab
The point is that there is that right. Popular speech doesn’t need to be protected. Unpopular speech does because if it isn’t we will have the tyranny of the majority with the assistance of the government.
When ‘microaggressions’ become ‘harmful speech’ that become subject to censorship, society has a freedom of thought and speech problem, with the consequent inhibition of the free exchange of ideas critical to the growth of a vibrant society. This is a recipe for the decline of western civilization.
There is a simple nursery rhyme which points to the obvious solution:
“sticks and stones may break my bones
but names will never harm me.”
Use this as a gauge for what is ‘harm’ that should be properly prosecuted, and our society will have taken a great leap forward to its revitalization.
This is what your cult leader thinks of you…
“I saw him when the cameras were off,” Grisham said. “Behind closed doors, Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement-dwellers.”
Did Michelle get the ‘market rate’?
Or do we think she “took more than she needed?”
The Obamas are worth ~$75 million now. That’s after a life of “public service.”
She and Barak can shut their f’n fraud mouths.
Only their brainwashed base is buying their okey doke any”mo”.
#Obamas are Liars&Frauds.
“Michelle Obama last year was paid $750K to give a one hour speech in Germany about diversity and inclusion”. x.com/tomselliott/st…
“MICHELLE OBAMA: “We don’t have the luxury of cheating others to get further ahead—We don’t get to change the rules so we always win.”
Wow, really Michelle?
They REALLY DO accuse the other side of EXACTLY what they do, and have zero shame doing it.
DO NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THEIR PROPAGANDA & LIES.
Democrats are f’n freaks, frauds and criminals.
DO NOT LET THEM ILLEGALLY SEIZE POWER AGAIN.
“Kamala Harris is one of the most qualified people to ever run for the office of the Presidency.” — Michelle Obama
What drugs are these people on? The woman sucked dick to get a job in California and got zero delegates in 2020.
She is the most unqualified.
This is absurd.”
______________
“Is anyone at the DNC even going to talk about policy?
Or is it all about how “evil” they think Donald Trump is?
What do I have to look forward to these next 2 days at the DNC aside from more black rappers, disregard for the English language, and more gaslighting?
Anything?”
____________
“The Obamas are Pouring on the race card tonight even though they infected our country with their black supremacy and division for 8 years.
They are gaslighters.”
No one believes that bullsheet from that snake, Grisham, btw.
Democrats are a CULT.
Total Brainwashing behavior.
Unable to THINK.
Just DO as they are told.
THINK as they are told.
March in LOCK STEP ALWAYS.
Do Not Get Out Of Line.
DEAR LEADER will tell them what to do, think, say.
They WILL COMPLY.
The Democrat Party is EXACTLY what a BRAINWASHED CULT looks and acts like.
No. MAGA is the cult du jour…a borderline Pavlovian cult of feral, ignorant attack dogs.
We have heard this kind of nonsense before – people do not beleive you, they do not beleive the media, they do not beleive democrats.
Biden repeated just about every debunked hoax about Trump in his after midnight speech last night.
Harris’s official twitter account is posting decepitvely edited video’s of Trump.
In one while at a rally in PA Trump[ noticed a groups of women who have been at several of his rallies that are from North Carolina.
And he turned to them and welcomed the women from North Carolina.
The Harris campaign edited the video to make you thinkl Trump thought he was in NC not PA.
The reality is that he is so on top of things that he noticed people in the crowd from another state.
Trump was attacked for doing a Rally in a City in Michigan that purpotedly had some kind of KKK history.
When the press confronted him suggesting he was pandering to the KKK – Trump asked the Crowd
“Who appeared here in 2021” – and the answer was “Biden”
You idiots engage in this stupid political lying. You do not seem to grasp that when you get caught – people will quit listening to you completely.
Mr. Say, When will you ever learn to spell “believe”?
Riiiiiiight
Was this person the same as the one that Trump grabbed the steering wheel?
That was Cassidy Hutchinson.
She needs to be prosecuted.
What’s wrong with dwelling in a basement? It is cool here in the summer.
Hmm, an Iranian funded bot perhaps?
Oblivious to American humor I suppose. I’d rather be a basement-dweller like Bribem and Harrass, than a “Basket of deplorables” like the Clintons.
PHILADELPHIA – August 20, 2024 – A member of Maryland’s “Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention” is out of a job. Ayman Nassar, the second Islamist commissioner to get tossed from the hate crimes board within three months, resigned on August 19 amid public outrage over his role in terror-linked organizations and his history of anti-American, antisemitic, and homophobic hate speech.
https://mailchi.mp/meforum/again-an-islamist-outed-from-marylands-hate-crimes-commission-mefs-role?e=b89d68bef1
S. Meyer, Thank you for that bit of good news.
One of the MOST pathetic things about the fraud named Barak Obama, is that he is a TELEPROMPTER WARRIOR.
The man is WEAK, fake, not that smart.
He cannot speak off the cuff.
He NEEDS his teleprompter speech to seem BIG, smart, and cool.
He is a fraud. He is a phony. Just like his wife.
He is the small, pathetic, weak Wizard of Oz behind the curtain.
Pull the curtain and you see the FRAUD standing there, exposed.
Shut up, Barak. You are not only EVIL and divisive. You are a FRAUD. You are a LIAR.
And you are done.
America is done with your OKIE DOKE you pathetic demagogue.
YOU are the DIVIDER. YOU are the RACIST.
YOU are the FRAUD. So is your wife. You are both frauds.
America is onto you. Both of you.
The best was Michelle Obama talking about people “taking more than they need.”
That is so rich coming from the Obamas who have massive mansions in DC, Chicago, Hawaii, Martha’s Vineyard, also in New York City, and Los Angeles. How many mansions does one small family need?
Did you WORK for it, Obama? Or did you suck the government TIT for your entire lazy ass fraudulent “career” you FRAUD?
Your time has passed you FRAUD.
The only suckers and losers who believe your OKIE DOKE are Democrat brainwashed useful idiots.
Good luck LOSERS.
Michelle O. lecutres us ?? that WE should “give more than we take” ?? Puhleeze.
Really, Michelle?
What have you given? You took MILLIONS didn’t you, Michelle? Privilege out the wazoo.
Sure seems like you TOOK a hell of a lot for the PRIVILEGE you had to be in the White Houe for 8 years.
You can sit down, fraud, and shut your America-hating mouth.
The Obamas can both go suck a big bag of Democrat d*cks because no one else, other than brainwashed useful idiots, GAF what Barak or Michelle think about anything. F*ck right off.
Kamala has been IN POWER, IN OFFICE for nearly FOUR YEARS — with Joe — who is ostensibly STILL a functioning President. What a bag of hooey these people shovel into their useful idiot voters weak brains. Disgusting demagoguery.
Nearly 80 percent of the country thinks we are heading in the WRONG direction!! Who is in power right now???? Joe and Kamala. DEMOCRATS ARE IN POWER you idiots.
“Michelle Obama talks about losing hope, feeling “a palpable sense of dread about the future.” Who’s been in charge of the country for the last four years? #DNC2024″
“Michelle Obama says Kamala Harris fought for “strengthening the rule of law.” Is that why she bailed out rioters in Minnesota? Why she called federal law enforcement officers “paramilitary”? Why she presided over a lawless southern border? Why she let a cop-killer escape death?”
Dont forget suggesting ICE was a modern KKK
“So much of our political dysfunction and many of our problems can be traced back to the Obama presidency. Such a disaster.”
Barak Obama is a piece of America-hating scum.
BO has LOST his spark.
Sorry, BO. You ain’t “got it” no ‘mo.
Buh bye FRAUD.
“Government is inherently corrupt, which is why that guy right there (Obama) magically became a near-billionaire after spending his entire adult life working in government.”
SCUM. FRAUD.
“Barack Obama is the only former president to remain in Washington after leaving office. He runs a shadow government and helped perpetuate the coup against Joe Biden. “Democracy!””
Woodrow Wilson and Willam Howard Taft stayed.