Free speech activists are “fighting back” against “Keir Starmer strong-arming the authorities” amid concerns a clampdown following unrest in Britain “will have a chilling effect on free speech”.
The Free Speech Union (FSU) is offering legal support for anyone who is contacted by the police in connection with something they have said about the murder of three schoolgirls in Southport and the subsequent unrest.
The group – which advocates freedom of speech – said they have launched an arrangement with a top firm of criminal lawyers to assist people seeking legal advice in the aftermath of the disruption across the UK.
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It comes after a 55-year-old woman was arrested for wrongly identifying the Southport attacker as a Muslim asylum seeker.
Free speech activists are ‘fighting back’ against ‘Keir Starmer strong-arming the authorities’
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FSU stepped in to help the woman and said: “If she is charged, we will pay for her defence.”
The group acknowledge that “she may be guilty of spreading misinformation” but has challenged the law she could be charged with.
In a statement, they said: “When Cheshire police arrested a 55 year-old women last week for wrongly identifying the Southport attacker as a Muslim asylum seeker, we stepped in to provide assistance.
“We would be amazed if she is charged — but if she is, we will pay for her defence.
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“While she may be guilty of spreading misinformation, that isn’t (yet) a crime, and it would be hard to charge her with the section 179 false communications offence created by the Online Safety Act, because one of its tests is that “the message conveys information the person knows to be false — clearly, this isn’t the case here.”
Free Speech activists are now offering free support and advice amid concerns that the recent prosecutions of people for “imprudent social media posts will have a chilling effect on free speech”.
The group says other people have been contacting them to seek advice as fears grow that even “the act of sharing footage of rioting on social media could be enough to land you with a criminal record”.
The FSU will pay for a telephone consultation about a case and could, at their discretion, pay for a solicitor to attend a police interview – in additional to further legal work.
The FSU will pay for a telephone consultation about a case and could pay for a solicitor to attend a police interview
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Found of FSU, Toby Young told GB News: “We’ve been contacted by hundreds of people worried that they’ll be arrested and could end up in jail because of something they’ve said on social media.
“In 99.9 per cent of cases, it’s because they’ve criticised the Government, not because they’ve said anything remotely unlawful.
“It’s clear that Sir Keir Starmer’s crackdown is already having a chilling effect on free speech.”
Source Agencies
