Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 25th, 2018

snaves (39)in #freespeech • 6 years ago

Free Speech Roundup 032518

A summary of the top free speech related news and events from the past week. This week we have news on Spanish book banning, a new state law, student protestor suppression, a new report from the UK, a lawsuit, and a canceled free speech panel.

Freedom of speech is the right from which all other human rights follow because it allows people to address grievances and protest for their other rights. It is therefore of the utmost importance to protect the right to express oneself freely from those who seek to restrict it.

Book Banning in Spain

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/don-quixote-helps-spanish-booksellers-in-free-speech-battle/2018/03/27/5b12642e-31b2-11e8-b6bd-0084a1666987_story.html
A book on drug smuggling in the Galicia region of Spain was temporarily banned from sale by a judge. The book, Farina, references cocaine charges involving former politician Jose Bea Gondar, who sued for damages and to be removed from the book. In response, the Madrid Booksellers’ Guild launched an online tool which pieces together the banned book using words from the classic novel Don Quixote. The tool is meant to demonstrate “how ridiculous and anachronistic” it is to ban a book in the digital age. Fernando Valverde of the Booksellers’ Guild further stated that the prohibition is “an attack on our freedoms.” A court order has now also shut down the web site.

Washington Passes Law Protecting Student Journalists

https://www.thefire.org/new-voices-bill-signed-into-law-in-washington/
http://www.rentonreporter.com/northwest/free-speech-protections-for-student-journalists-signed-into-law/
The governor of Washington state signed into law a bill that protects all public students from administrative reprisal. It ensures students are free to “determine the news, opinion, feature, and advertising content” of school-sponsored media without administrative control or prior review. The student editors become responsible for the content they publish. The new law protects public students in both K-12 and higher education settings. Washington becomes the 14th such state to pass legislation protecting student journalists.

Private College Targets Student Protestors

https://www.thefire.org/troy-police-department-videotaped-student-demonstrators-at-rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-a-private-institution/
https://www.thefire.org/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-we-want-a-controlled-environment-for-student-speech/
As reported by FIRE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has sought to set up a “controlled environment” for student speech by targeting students critical of the administration. At a fundraiser in the fall, the Institute had City of Troy Police keep protesters far away from the event and under surveillance. The police sent video of the demonstrators to the administration which then charged the students with frivolous violations of the student handbook. Then in February, protestors were stopped from handing out flyers on what they believed to be a public sidewalk. RPI defended their actions in a town hall meeting, citing non-existent policies. In fact, RPI is going against its own policy that says it “shall not impede or obstruct students in the exercise of their fundamental rights as citizens.”

UK Parliament Report on Campus Free Speech

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201719/jtselect/jtrights/589/589.pdf
The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights released a report on the state of freedom of speech in English universities. The inquiry uncovered several ways in which free speech is inhibited on campus. Contentious topics which lead to inhibitions on speech due to high emotions are identified. The report states that the issue is not as widespread as commonly reported by the media, but is enough to warrant concern. The isolated incidents where speech is suppressed could have a broader ‘chilling effect’ on free expression. A limited number of students and university representatives were surveyed so a survey of the wider student body’s confidence in free speech on campus is needed. The report concludes with recommendations on the government’s role moving forward to ensure free speech is protected as well as guidelines on what speech is protected. I wrote more about this report HERE.

Iowa Man Wins Lawsuit Against City

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/29/iowa-man-wins-lawsuit-over-calling-his-hometown-stinky/
As I wrote about for the March 4th Roundup, Josh Harms and the ACLU sued the city of Sibley, Iowa for threatening legal action against him. The issue stemmed from a website he created to inform people about bad odors from a local processing plant. The lawsuit stated that the city was violating his First Amendment right to free speech. On Thursday, he won his lawsuit when a federal judge issued an injunction against the city and awarded Harms damages. The injunction prohibits further threats against him by the city and allows him to speak freely about the odor issue.

College Free Speech Discussion Canceled

https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/43447/
The student group hosting a free speech panel at McMaster University in Canada canceled the event following vague safety concerns. The event, entitled ‘Tolerating Intolerance: A Discussion on Free Speech,’ was to feature Acadia professor Rick Mehta, McMaster historian Jaeyoon Song, and St. Mary’s University philosopher Mark Mercer. Unlike other cancellations due to safety concerns, this came from the student group itself, not the administration. They decided not to continue with the event after Song dropped out due to several colleagues raising concerns about his safety. No specific threats were made against the event. It was in essence self-censored due to the possibility of hecklers, a preemptive heckler’s veto.

What do you think about these stories? Leave a comment below!

Recent Free Speech Roundups:

Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 18th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 11th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 4th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Feb. 25th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Feb. 18th, 2018