(C) Common Dreams
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New U.K. Extremism Policy Raises Concerns Over Free Speech [1]
['Stephen Castle']
Date: 2024-03-14
Britain’s government published a new definition of extremism on Thursday that it intends to use to cut ties or funding to groups deemed to have crossed the line, but which critics fear could curtail campaigners’ rights and curb free speech.
Michael Gove, a senior cabinet minister, said in a statement that the move was intended to “protect democratic values” by being “clear and precise in identifying the dangers posed by extremism.”
Some advocacy groups and legal experts greeted the announcement with concern, warning that it could affect the rights of those deemed by the government to meet the definition. The only way to challenge such a decision is likely to be through the courts.
The initiative has also stirred a wider debate about how, before a general election that must be held by early next year, British politicians choose to deal with domestic tensions that have risen since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of people have attended pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London and, according to the government, there has been a significant rise in both antisemitic incidents and anti-Muslim hate cases.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/world/europe/uk-extremism-plan-free-speech.html
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