Freedom of Speech & Right of Assembly v Rights of the Majority

[TattiesMum]

As many of you know I live in Luton ... a pleasant multi cultural town on the whole - despite all that is written about it!

Thousands of people from many different countries, faiths and creeds live and work alongside each other in peace for the most part - unlike Bradford etc we have few racial crimes and the BNP has never gained so much as a toehold here.

But today we are under siege by the EDL

I HAVE to open the office on a Saturday - people still pass away and their families still need us at weekends ... so today I walked to work as usual - I live and work in the area the police have chosen to corrall EDL members before their March into the town centre starts at 1pm........it was like walking through a war zone

Every shop is boarded, every business closed. Roads are closed and the only vehicles to be seen are police horseboxes and patrol cars. The town centre I'm told is the same - the Mall is closed for business with all it's windows boarded up, as are those of our library, blood donor centre, pubs, other shops and domestic residences. People's bins have been removed by the council, all bus services have been cancelled and train services are restricted.

Even at 8.30 this morning there were crowds of thugs chanting in the street - I can still hear them in my office and it's getting louder as the minutes pass

I'm a middle aged white woman with a police linked panic button literally inches from my hand, but frankly I'm scared! And if I'm scared then how must it be for those who live around me who don't fit into the white christian pigeonhole? Local residents are literally trapped in their homes hoping that no-one will notice them

Now I'm also a liberal - a believer in freedom of speech, freedom of protest, freedom of assembly and a believer in Human Rights .... today I'm confused because there seems to be a conflict between those things -

Where does one person's Human Right to free speech stop and another person's Human Right to open their business, walk the streets, feel safe in their house and carry out their day to day living start?

 

[smokey]

Sadly im not a huge fan of the "freedom of speech" generation, not because I think people dont have a right to be heard in any way its becuse too many people use it as an exscuse to say what they want and hurt others on the assumption they can get away with it with no comeback because of "free speech" I think it has become a very overused and abbused term and right.

Not that im slating it but just using the forum alone as an example, the amount of times someone has replyed with somthing rude, insulting, hurtfull and offensive and then when people call them on it start ranting how they are entittled to free speech.
I realy think there needs to be some commen decency limit to free speech but its sad that some should ruin what is ment to be a human right

 

[Lightworker]

I totally agree that the rights enshrined in the ECHR are being taken too far and even though they have claw-back clauses, these are not always used properly. TBH I am not 100% familar with the objectives of the EDL but if they are causing people to stay home in fear, clearly they are infringing on the rights of the vast majority and this is WRONG. I know we talk of these things lightly now but this xactly how the Rwanda genocide started, just slight displays of objection to an ethnic group...

 

[Lightworker]

..contd/ and then a few months later you have a full blown genocide. IMO these issues need to be nipped in the bud. Its weird that we have anti-bullying anti-racism policies in our children's schools yet its perfectly ok for a group to be assembled targeting a whole sector of society.

 

[PeanutBean]

Hmm. It's a tricky one. I agree with you about individual liberties and as you know am liberal too. Of course I also totally disagree with everything EDL and the likes stand for. In the absence of a constitution as I understand it in the UK we don't actually have a right to freedom of speech, not in the way they do in the States anyway. I do think there is an element of social responsibility and I suppose the line has to be drawn democratically by reflecting the opinions of the majority. This is a highly theoretical response to your OP! I guess my point is that each case has to be taken on it's own 'merits'. In theory the other rules about public disorder and harm to others, plus incitement of racial hatred etc should cover the particularly negative aspects of such events. In theory...

 

[lesleyann]

I think the right to freedom of speach is a good thing. I do think alot of fear for groups such as the EDL however are unneeded and made by the media and smaller "good" groups adding fuel to the fire to start fights with the EDL then getting a bad name. I think as long as noone is attacked/singled out ect then we should all have the right to say what we want. So many people are scared to say things for fear or being beaten or taken to court. I believe that the EDL protest was alot better than that bloody poppy burning that happened the EDL on this occation i think is all to do with not bringing in islam laws to the UK which i do also agree with as the UK has its own laws that should not just be changed to suit 1 religon ect but thats awhole other thread lol

P.s i do not no 100% what the EDL do and i have never been at one of their protests however my views above are made up from the media and people i have spoken to. then thinking it all though and making my own mind up