A Facebook post by the Greater Manchester Police has provoked fury online after telling the public to report anyone “repeating conspiracy theories” or “speaking to people spreading hate”. The post linked to a police website which said that a desire for political or social change could be a sign that some one was vulnerable to […]
As Irish politicians scramble to help every group and organisation on earth other than its own citizens, you’d be forgiven for wondering who they actually represent. Simon Coveney, Fine Gael Minister for Foreign Affairs, courted controversy on Thursday when he announced that Ireland would be quadrupling its contribution to the World Health Organisation. #Ireland strongly […]
It was once understood that the purpose of college, among other things, was to expose an individual to the wonderful world of academia, a place with a wide variety of beliefs and opinions. The pursuit of knowledge was best facilitated by differing viewpoints, and politics were either irrelevant to the discussion or a cause for […]
Recently, it’s felt like Students’ Union leaderships are more concerned with political posturing and furthering their agendas than acting for the student body. This could not have been made clearer than from the recent exposés we have seen from The Burkean on USI and TCDSU officers. When I first arrived at University, I tried leaving […]
JOURNALIST Toby Young has set up a free speech union in Britain in response to what many see as a clampdown on freedom of expression. Ben Scallan asks if we need the same in Ireland. https://youtu.be/5UrzSRQgOt8 #gript
Former police officer Harry Miller has successfully challenged the use of Hate Crime Operational guidelines, issued by the College of Policing in 2014 and followed by police forces nationally; a Judge found they had been ‘unlawfully used to interfere with Mr Miller’s freedom of speech’ when he was visited by a policeman to question him […]
Left-wing extremists, including masked members of Antifa, threw a smoke bomb during an attempted attack on a free-speech rally outside the Dáil, Saturday afternoon. At least one Antifa activist appears to have been arrested after a Garda was assaulted with a metal tripod leg during a attempted charge by left-wing extremists at the demonstration against […]
It’s been a busy week, with the election, so readers may have missed an important tale in the middle of all the political noise. This is the story about the cancellation of Jason Evert, after an outcry that amounted to Mr. Evert’s desire to teach Catholicism to Catholics in Catholic schools and church halls. To […]
Free speech activists are slamming a civil liberties group for calling for restrictions on the right to protest and assemble and also for legislation which would likely be used to curtail freedom of expression. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has called on candidates in the upcoming general election to commit to a list […]
Yesterday, New Years Day, saw a small group of pro-life protestors conducting some form of silent vigil/protest outside the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, an action that provoked anger from consultant obstetrician Dr. Mary Higgins: Right here (national maternity hospital), right now 1/1/20; wonder why we need exclusion zones @LeoVaradkar @SimonHarrisTD – beneath the windows […]
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University, issues a timely warning about the increasing censorship of free speech in the public sphere, as well as self-censorship, ‘which is in many ways more insidious than the formal policing of language’; this is a growing problem on the internet, but also on university campuses, where […]
The most striking aspect of Charlie Flanagan’s proposed “hate speech” legislation is the extraordinary alliance that has formed in its favour. As previous reports on Gript have shown it not only seemingly includes the entire “range” of parties within Leinster House, but everyone else from Pollyanna overseas charities to the “New IRA.” The latter, which […]