Free Speech conference

Draft Free Speech charter click here

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Free speech campaign agenda

The right to free speech, especially on the subject of Israel/Palestine, is coming under immense attack all over the world.

– Universities: Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has just threatened to cut the funding of any university that refuses to adopt the ‘working definition of antisemitism’ published by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance “by the end of the year”. A recent survey by the Union of Jewish Students had shown that only 29 out of 133 universities had adopted the IHRA definition, and 80 said they had no current plans to do so. (link)

– Schools: In September, the British government instructed schools in England not to use resources from anti-capitalist organisations: “Schools should not under any circumstances use resources produced by organisations that take extreme political stances on matters. This is the case even if the material itself is not extreme, as the use of it could imply endorsement or support of the organisation.” (link)

– NGOs: The US government is threatening to label labelling a number of leading international humanitarian organisations as antisemitic after they documented Israeli rights abuses against Palestinians, including settlement building in the occupied territories. The groups include the UK-based Amnesty International and Oxfam as well as the US organisation Human Rights Watch. (link)

– BDS movement: In 2019, the German government voted to declare BDS ‘antisemitic’ (link). In the US, some states have passed anti-BDS measures, such as punishing companies that refuse to do business with illegal Israeli settlements (link). After it labelled the BDS movement as antisemitic in 2018, the city council of Vienna cancelled a lecture by Ronnie Kassrills, the Jewish South African anti-Apartheid campaigner, alongside several Palestine solidarity events by a combined vote of the Greens, Social Democrats and the neo-Nazi Freedom Party (link). When France’s highest court convicted twelve activists merely for handing out BDS leaflets, the European Court of Human Rights stepped in and overruled the verdict in June 2020, stating that this was a breach of freedom of expression, ordering the French government to pay damages to the activists (link). Still, Boris Johnson is considering introducing similar laws in Britain, which was indeed promised in the Tory’s election programme (link). A large number of local authorities have already adopted the IHRA definition. Tower Hamlets council banned a bike ride for Palestinian children meeting in a park; other councils have refused to let BDS or pro-Palestinian groups hire town buildings or stage protests.

– Labour movement: The election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party in 2015 unleashed a vicious campaign against him and his supporters. Anti-Zionism and support for the Palestinian struggle was wrongly equated with antisemitism, leading to the smearing of hundreds of supporters of the Palestinian struggle as antisemites. The campaign culminated in the October 29 suspension of Corbyn himself, for stating that: “One antisemite is one too many, but the scale of the problem was also dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”. Like many others before him, he was punished simply for stating the plain truth.  

The fight for freedom of discussion and democratic decision-making in our movement is essential for the struggle for socialism. For this reason, we oppose demands for “zero tolerance”. This is the opposite of the culture of open debate we need. The best way to fight prejudice, misperceptions and misunderstandings is by education and free and frank debate.

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Charter for Free Speech 

1) Without free speech there can be no democracy

Open debate and the right to question ideas, conventions, rules and laws are the basic requirements of a free society. Demands for free speech have historically been central to the politics of the left and must be vigorously defended.

2) An end to state secrecy – we need open books and transparency on all matters of state

Julian Assange must be released immediately and all charges dropped. By publishing embarrassing US state secrets, he has done the international anti-war movement a great service. End the prosecution of whistleblowers and others who reveal these state crimes and attacks on democratic rights. The imprisonment of Assange for publishing evidence of war crimes is an attack on the most fundamental of democratic rights – the right to a free press. 

3) The fake definition on antisemitism published by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance must be rejected
It has been used to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism and attack pro-Palestinian movements like the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS). Universities must be allowed to resist adopting it without threats of defunding. 

4) For full democracy and free speech in the Labour movement.

Open political debate, the right to question ideas and hold leaders to account are vital for a healthy Labour and Trade Union movement. We condemn all attempts to restrict these essential features of a democratic labour movement. In Britain, Labour’s new leader Keir Starmer and his General Secretary David Evans are now seeking to abolish them under the guise of opposing ‘antisemitism’.

5) For free discussion and enquiry in universities, colleges and schools

Politicians and states increasingly attack free speech and debate in education by branding critical ideas and opposition to the status quo as unacceptable and ‘extremist’. Freedom of  speech and debate is the lifeblood of genuine education, enquiry and a democratic public life. We defend these rights without reservation.

6) We oppose demands for “zero tolerance”. This is the opposite of the culture of open debate we need. The best way to fight prejudice, misperceptions and misunderstandings is by education and free, open debate.