Free speech campaign reaches initial fundraising target; Auckland Council will face legal action
In less than 24 hours, the Free Speech Coalition has reached its $50,000 fundraising goal and will be engaging lawyers to bring judicial proceedings against Auckland Council for its ban on Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux at Council-owned venues.
Chris Trotter, who is supporting the Coalition, says, “Thank you to every New Zealander who has dug deep to support such an important cause.”
“We had hoped to raise this money by 5pm Friday. However, within the first day of this campaign we have been completely swamped by people pledging money to the cause – from $5 to $5,000.”
Melissa Derby, another supporter of the Coalition, says, “We look forward to setting a strong legal precedent that shows the use of publicly-owned venue cannot be dictated by the political whims of those in power.”
“For us this is not about helping these particular speakers, but in defending the rights of all New Zealanders to express and hear controversial views.”
How very curious that this group raised $50000 in less than 24 hours!
Contrast the efforts of Palestine support groups to get speakers here. I am thinking particularly of the 2013 struggle to get the government even to let into the country , the young writer and translator that Roger Fowler had met in Gaza several years go, I am thinking of Yousef Al Jamal, one of the contributors to Gaza Writes Back, Short Stories from Young Writers. His visit was organized and supported at the grass roots level. No demands were made for special Council owned venues.
Palestinians are educated, or make heroic efforts to be so, as Israel destroys schools not just in Gaza. They are not numbers, they have names and faces, and stories to tell.
Yes; we agree,
Above all who hold political or cultural beliefs, the ‘public venue’ must be kept open to all races, creeds poltic, cultural ethnic people as outlined in the UN charter of universal human rights.
No politician or government body can over rule the universal human rights of the individual at any time.
In memory of our fallen solders who fight for our collective freedoms; ‘lest we forget’
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