Great summary of our "Speech Regulations in 2024" event.

Speakers at a Free Speech Ireland event heard claims that Helen McEntee’s ‘hate speech’ bill will be used as a means of silencing political opposition, controlling narratives, censoring dissenting journalists, and has the potential to enable state mandated versions of historical events.

#gript

https://gript.ie/restrictions-on-freedom-of-expression-will-kill-democracy-say-free-speech-campaigners/

“If I cannot communicate ideas freely due to others asserting a silencing power over me, then there cannot be a free participative democracy”.

“Weimar Germany had laws banning hateful speech”.

Speaking at our Speech Restrictions in 2024 event, Tim Crowley discussed the 'Weimar fallacy' and the Hate Speech Bill's section on genocide.

🚧 FREE SPEECH PROTEST 🚧

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has been championing the anti-democratic Hate Speech Bill. Join us next Saturday to show him that Cork values civil rights.

Bring friends & family. Placards will be provided.

Let's #BinTheBill.

We're all set for Saturday.

We'll be handing out leaflets as we congregate before marching to Micheál Martin's office to say a few words.

#BinTheBill

Great energy at today's #BinTheBill Roadshow protest in Cork City! 🟥⬜️ We went to @MichealMartinTD's office to show that Ireland values free speech!

Opposition to censorship is grassroots and nationwide.

Next week we announce the next stop on our free speech roadshow.

“Admitting that the X algorithm is more driven by likes and shares rather than relying on trusted news sources is honest but frankly alarming”,

Malcolm Byrne said, remarking on the meeting between reps from X and the Gov's media committee.

The public deciding where they get their information is not 'alarming' but a senator wanting to control how we get our news is.

Josh Evans of Coimisiún na Meán told the Irish government this morning:

“The US is on one path, totalitarian regimes are on another. The whole idea of the DSA was to try and create a system [...] that does walk that line between those two polar opposites.”

No democracy should be walking the line between freedom and totalitarianism.

The government is looking to have the Hate Speech Bill back in the Seanad in the coming weeks. There are only a small number of stages left for it to pass through.

Contact Senators:
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/senators

Sign Petition:
https://freespeechireland.ie/petition/

“As the result unfolded, some senior Government figures were wondering quietly about the future of the hate speech legislation”, Pat Leahy writes.

And they are right to, because if hate speech were another referendum, it would be another blow for them.

🚧 FREE SPEECH PROTEST 🚧

Protest the Government's Hate Speech Bill. Naughton has been a strong proponent of the Bill and has lobbied for social media companies like Facebook to collect government-issued identification including PPS numbers.

Placards provided.
#BinTheBill

A huge thanks to everyone who's signed the #BinTheBill 2024 Petition.

It's ambitious, but we're aiming to present it to government with 30,000 signatures ahead of the return of the Hate Speech Bill.

https://freespeechireland.ie/petition

“They took hate crimes [..] and hate speech [..] and they mashed the two of them together to make it more difficult to comprehensively oppose this.”

-Lorcán Price BL

Full interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm4ITjSRE8M

A huge 'thank you' to everyone who has supported us so far.

Now, more than ever, our ambitions have outpaced what is feasible. There are so many ways we would like to promote free speech, particularly in combating the Hate Speech Bill. This really is a pivotal decade for civil freedoms.

Unlike established NGOs, we are a team of volunteers. We don't receive a cent from the government. Please consider supporting us:

freespeechireland.ie/support-us/