Theresa May bans a right-wing group from Bradford march
The British Home Secretary Theresa May banned a right-wing group from taking part in a march in the city of Bradford. The EDL (English Defence League) was planning to make a demonstration in the city on the same day that the group Unite Against Fascism was also planning to arrange an organised protest. Fears began to arise over the possibility of a repeat of the violent 2001 riots, an event which many Bradford residents will never forget.
Many people may see this as a decision driven by the parties financial advisor, one more about cost than actual public interest. Personally, I believe this is a decision which has been taken with careful consideration for public safety. Theresa May was right to ban the group from marching, especially when the United Against Fascism organisation was planning a march on the exact same day. One can only imagine the level of violence that could have resulted if the two groups clashed with one another. The government has a responsibility to maintain public order. It is essential if we are to avoid seeing repeated riots comparable to those witnessed in Bradford in 2001 or in Birmingham back in 1985.
Of course, some will consider this an infringement of ’freedom of speech’, however hateful and despicable the rhetoric of these far-right groups may be. Everything has its limits - no freedom is without responsibility and the government cannot simply ignore or permit an event from taking place simply because of the need for freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is supposed to enlighten us, it is supposed to be an essential component of a free world, in which people can have a free say on issues that matter to them. It gives people the liberty to let the government know that they want change and that something needs to be done on a wider scale to help solve major social issues.
Using freedom of speech to express hatred to such an extent that it puts the emotional well-being of different groups at serious risk is a serious abuse of this liberty. The Home Secretary’s role is to monitor and to take action against an individual or a group which poses a realistic threat to public safety. While the Conservative-Liberal Democratic coalition has its flaws and has a great deal of challenges to face in the future, I am pleased to see that on this matter Theresa May is clearly doing her job.
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