NSS supports Freedom of Expression Rally

Posted: Fri, 17th Feb 2012

Several members of the NSS Council and several members of staff attended the One Law for All Free Speech rally outside parliament last week. Speaking for the NSS was Executive DirectorKeith Porteous Wood.

Keith pointed to the decades of neglect in academic institutions in failing to stand up to threats to freedom of expression. He warned about the conflation of race and religion that continues to be exploited by those trying to silence critics by equating any criticism of Islam with so-called Islamophobia and branding it, and critics, as racist.

Keith called on all in academe to recognise the crucial importance of freedom of expression as the bedrock of democracy and a free society and to fight much harder to preserve it. Keith is also concerned about the commitment of the police and CPS to tackle these issues and has experience of them even seeking to prosecute television journalists bravely trying to expose hate speech.

His full speech is here (pdf).

Tags: Free speech