NEWS

The right to protest wrong
Ahl us Sunnah was Jama’ah is what one might call a ‘fringe group’, made up of former members of Al Muhajiroun, which was banned in 2005 after allegations of links to terror groups. Several members have since been jailed. For a fringe organisation, they do have a handy knack of gaining attention. Britain’s two biggest […]
By Padraig Reidy
11 Mar 09
Uncategorized

Ahl us Sunnah was Jama’ah is what one might call a ‘fringe group’, made up of former members of Al Muhajiroun, which was banned in 2005 after allegations of links to terror groups. Several members have since been jailed.

For a fringe organisation, they do have a handy knack of gaining attention. Britain’s two biggest newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Sun, led this morning with reports of their protest against the homecoming parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment after a tour of duty in Basra, Iraq.

The protest has sparked some debate about the ‘limits of free expression’. This isn’t a bad thing, and an encouraging part of the Radio 5 Live phone-in I took part in this morning was that most callers were very clear on the distinction between things we don’t like and things that should be banned.

Shame the Prime Minister wasn’t listening. He assured MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions today that military parades would not be disrupted in future. Can he really guarantee this without infringing on our right to protest and free expression?

Support free expression for all

 

Prev Next

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £10 monthly donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 monthly donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £10 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Make a £20 one-off donation

At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.

Donate a different amount

By Padraig Reidy

Padraig Reidy is the editor of Little Atoms and a columnist for Index on Censorship. He has also written for The Observer, The Guardian, and The Irish Times.

READ MORE

CAMPAIGNS

CROWN CONFIDENTIAL

Click Here

BANNED BY BEIJING

Click Here

LETTERS FROM LUKASHENKA'S PRISONERS

Click Here

SUBSCRIBE

SUPPORT INDEX'S WORK