Free speech News
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Hong Kong -
During 2015 Chinese officials arrested five booksellers in Hong Kong, accusing them of selling literature critical of the Chinese government and with an aim of shipping books to the Chinese mainland. One of the booksellers remains missing.
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Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, imprisoned since 2012 for "insulting Islam," was awarded a prestigious free-speech prize on Tuesday.
Badawi was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize along with British Poet James Fenton.
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Parma -
An Ohio man may face criminal charges that accuse him of creating a Facebook account that parodies the Parma Police Department's official page.
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Sydney -
CTV meteorologist Cindy Day is drawing a storm of protest due to recent Twitter posts concerning Frankie MacDonald, a popular self professed weather man from Sydney, Nova Scotia, who also happens to be autistic.
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Four school children in Egypt are facing up to five years in jail, while a fifth child is on the run. A school teacher is also facing seven years in jail. The crime? Making fun of the Islamic State.
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Washington D.c. -
Firebrand libertarian U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has courted controversy yet again, this time by saying there should be no limits on campaign contributions. Cruz claims that political spending is equal to free speech.
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Sydney -
On Friday night, a group of nearly 1,000 protesters assembled in the Sydney suburb of Lakemba to oppose what organisers classed as negative coverage of the Islamic faith and to reject the notion of free speech.
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Washington -
The US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a closely watched case testing the limits of free speech on social media.
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Kountze -
Cheerleaders are taking a case to the Supreme Court of Texas. Team members had banners removed or censored and are claiming that this infringes on their right to free speech.
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Washington -
The United States Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a Massachusetts law prohibiting protests near abortion clinics is unconstitutional.
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Yigor Palmor works as a major spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs but has many problems with how they conduct their affairs. He claims a lack of finesse and a tendency to push their agenda hurts the foreign image of Israel.
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An American exchange student in China got into a bit of hot water when he wrote some pro-democracy phrases in another student’s notebook.
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On April 2, 2014 the U.S. Supreme Court overruled a 40-year-old decision upholding the legality of limits to the overall amount a single person can donate to candidates, political parties, and committees.
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Facebook executives are currently debating a huge policy change that could bring an end to all gun-themed pages on the social media website.
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Istanbul -
Turkey's Islamist government are enforcing new Internet restrictions and persecutes journalists, prosecutors, freedom protesters, and even police.
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A Department of Justice memo instructs local police, under a program named "communities against terrorism," to consider anyone who harbors "conspiracy theories" about 9/11 to be a potential terrorist.
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Banjul -
Critics are claiming an amendment to a Gambian Internet law will stifle free expression in the tiny West African dictatorship.
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Ottawa -
On September 18th, the Ottawa Transit Commission will meet to decide whether or not an anti-war, pro-civil liberties group, currently running ads on 300 buses in Ottawa, will be allowed to continue to air their message.
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About 2 years ago, Wisconsin elected a new governor. Governor Walker took office in January of 2011. A month later he introduced a new budget that would change certain rules and could cause many people to lose their jobs.
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UPDATE: Stewart Rhodes, President of Oathkeepers, has issued a statement criticizing the government response to Kokesh, which also criticizes Mr. Kokesh.
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Istanbul -
In November 2012 the deteriorating conditions for reporting news led to a delegation of writers meeting in Istanbul. Now, as widely reported, the media's coverage of so far peaceful protests is now at a crisis.
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Lisbon -
Portugal's Attorney General has opened an investigation after celebrated author, Miguel Sousa Tavares, called Portugal’s head of state, President Silva, a clown in an interview. The author’s remarks could see him facing a three year jail term.
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Strasbourg -
In a judgement issued yesterday the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has over-ruled an earlier decision of a French court which resulted in a man who had mocked former French President Nicolas Sarkozy being given a suspended fine of €30.
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A new law in North Carolina aimed at protecting teachers from cyberbullying prohibits the creation of fake Internet accounts under teacher's names by students and criminalizes posting unedited pictures or accurate statements which lead to harassment.
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Eugene -
Two Arizona lawmakers have introduced two different proposed laws that might come to a vote this year. Both laws would require students in public and charter schools to stand, face an American flag and recite a standard pledge of allegiance every day.
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Guangzhou -
Strikes are rare in China. The authorities have many restrictions in place and those who are prepared to stand against the country's leaders know that they risk a great deal.
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A new law to tackle people who publish offensive messages online would have a ‘chilling effect’ on free speech, the Joint Committee on Human Rights has warned the British Government.
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Cairo -
Alber Saber, an Egyptian blogger, was arrested back in September. Neighbours accused Saber of posting links to a trailer from the film Innocence of Muslims. An Egyptian court sentenced Saber to three years for blasphemy and contempt of religion.
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Under the banner ‘We fight censorship’ journalists’ campaigning organisation Reporters sans Frontières last week launched a website which will carry content that has been censored, banned or which has given rise to reprisals against its author.
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Renowned Qatari poet Mohammed Ben al-Dheeb has been sentenced to life imprisonment for writing verse that authorities claim insults the country's symbols and encourages the overthrow of the government.
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Free speech Image
A Hindu prayer prior to the debates at the Freedom of Speech event in front of the Ontario Legislature.
Imam Steve Rockwell of the Sheikh Deedat mosque delivering a 10-minute speech in front of the Ontario Legislature for the Freedom of Speech event.
Pat Condell with his signature hand gesture while he says "Peace." YouTube screen capture
Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, delivering a 10-minute speech in front of the Ontario Legislature for the Freedom of Speech event.
Protesters at the Queen's Park Freedom of Speech event in Toronto.
Love of Charter organizer Allan Einstoss speaking outside of Queen's Park for Freedom of Speech event.
Turkish composer and pianist Fazil Say was convicted of blasphemy for speaking out against Erdogan Fazil Say
Protesters at the Queen's Park Freedom of Speech event in Toronto.
Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, delivering a 10-minute speech in front of the Ontario Legislature for the Freedom of Speech event.
Mubin Shaikh, a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) RCMP human source.
Love of Charter organizer Allan Einstoss speaking outside of Queen's Park for Freedom of Speech event.
Dr. Masud Ansair, author of "Psychology of Mohammed," speaks at Queen's Park for the Freedom of Speech event.
ERT morning TV show Marilena Katsimi and Kostas Arvanitis Nikos Simos MEDIA
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