Cancel culture is back at DCU. Emails leaked to FSI shows senior staff members cancelled debate on Arab–Israeli conflict.

https://freespeechireland.ie/cancel-culture-is-back-at-dcu/

“Free Speech Ireland expressed concern that these new documents appear to show the US Government is now supporting the DSA despite it including several elements explicitly designed to control public discourse online.”

https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/04/biden-administration-issues-statement-supporting-eu-digital-services-act/

Ireland’s new media regulator has fallen afoul of FOI rules following its failure to produce requested FOI disclosure logs.

https://gript.ie/irelands-media-regulator-falls-afoul-of-foi-rules/

Free Speech Ireland are launching “The Trinity Declaration on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression” next week in Trinity College, Dublin.

A few academics will be speaking on the day. Following that, we will encourage attendees to sign the Declaration to raise awareness about the threats to academic freedom in Ireland.

📅: 6pm, Thursday, April 18th
📍: The Swift Theatre, Arts Building

Join us in Trinity College tomorrow evening to show your support for freedom of expression & academic freedom.

We have launched the Trinity Declaration on Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression to lay the groundwork for the fight back, to protect academic freedom in Ireland.

freespeechireland.ie/declaration

Assignees of the Trinity Declaration say “academic freedom and freedom of expression” must be “sacrosanct” but are “routinely ignored” by Irish universities who pledge allegiance to political ideologies such as Athena Swan

https://gript.ie/trinity-declaration-on-academic-freedom-launched-in-response-to-pernicious-censorial-culture/

Constituents have labelled proposed hate speech legislation "authoritarian" and complained to TDs that it will make Ireland a "police state".

https://www.roscommonherald.ie/authoritarian-ireland-will-be-police-state-complaints-to-politicians-over-hate-speech-legislat_arid-14770.html

Make sure to come over to us if you're at The Countess' Resisting Ideology conference today.

Our CEO Sarah O'Reilly will be speaking.

Given Minister McEntee is working to criminalise hateful comments, it is deeply concerning to see her apply this label to criticism of her.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41386408.html

Responding to claims that controversy over the Hate Speech Bill has been fueled by misinformation and alarmism, Grace Sullivan, a barrister and member of FSI, said that “the Bill that they seek to bring in is different to the 1989 Act”.

Proponents of the Hate Speech Bill present it as a modernised version of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act of 1989, tailored for the digital age. However, the Bill encompasses much more than that.

This is one of several highly-concerning developments at the EU-level, all of which have no political mandate.

This EU election, we urge you to vote for candidates who will defend freedom of speech.

https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/05/eu-to-consider-banning-anonymity-online-and-meps-from-using-hate-speech/

2024 Ireland Free Speech Summit

**EVENING EVENT, 18th JUNE - START TIME AND VENUE TBC **

TICKETS FOR SALE VERY SOON - email info@freespeechireland.ie to receive an announcement for the ticket launch.

Free speech is increasingly under threat in the West.

We hope you can join us on what hopes to be a great event!

The Free Speech Ireland team

https://bit.ly/FreeSpeechIreland

Looking forward to greeting attendees tomorrow at the Free Speech Summit. Doors will be open from 5 PM, with talks starting promptly at 6. Food will be provided after the event.

If you haven't received the location yet, please email us at info@freespeechireland.ie.

Less than a dozen tickets are still available:
tickets.freespeechsummit.com/events/freespeechireland1/1277951

Speakers from the Free Speech Summit will be briefing legislators before the event.

The Free Speech Summit is sold out. If you can't attend, please message us so we can refund you and open tickets to the waiting list.

Thank you to everyone who has shown interest in the event—this is a great sign. Apologies to those who couldn't find a ticket.

The Arts Building is the first right when entering TCD from Nassau Street. The Davis Theatre is straight down the main hall of the Building.

Doors open from 5 PM.

The Free Speech Summit is in full swing. Great turnout!

Videos will be available online soon.

#BinTheBill

https://www.newstalk.com/news/its-a-slippery-slope-should-social-media-sites-be-blocked-to-stop-riots-1754039

When asked about blocking particular social media sites in Ireland, Michele Neylon, CEO of Blacknight, said, “Is that really the way we want to do things?”

“I am one of those people who believes in a free and open internet as much as possible”—well said!

It is a huge victory that the sections of the Hate Speech Bill introducing new sentences for hate speech will be removed. The Bill has become a political hazard for the Government, thanks to everyone who has shown their support for free speech.

However, the Bill remains problematic in several ways, from the powers granted to seize devices to the criminalisation of debate over genocide. We will be paying close attention to the upcoming amendments in the Seanad.

Finally, we would like to thank everyone who has supported us and attended our events over the past two years.