We must be free to insult each other: Rowan Atkinson attacks new rules that outlaw ‘insulting words and behaviour’

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Loved this guy in Black Adder.

H/T EDL Buck

Daily Mail:

By Daniel Martin

PUBLISHED: 19:59 EST, 17 October 2012 | UPDATED: 05:37 EST, 18 October 2012

Worried: Rowan Atkinson is demanding a change in the law to halt the ¿creeping culture of censoriousness¿ Worried: Rowan Atkinson is demanding a change in the law to halt the ‘creeping culture of censoriousness’

Rowan Atkinson is demanding a change in the law to halt the ‘creeping culture of censoriousness’ which has seen the arrest of a Christian preacher, a critic of Scientology and even a student making a joke.

The Blackadder and Mr Bean star criticised the ‘new intolerance’ behind controversial legislation which outlaws ‘insulting words and behaviour’.

Launching a fight for part of the Public Order Act to be repealed, he said it was having a ‘chilling effect on free expression and free protest’.

He went on: ‘The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such. Criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as insult.’

Campaigners say the Public Order Act is being abused by over-zealous police and prosecutors. Section 5 of the 1986 Act outlaws threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour, but what constitutes ‘insulting’ is unclear and has resulted in a string of controversial arrests.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested under the legislation for peacefully holding a placard reading ‘Scientology is a dangerous cult’, on the grounds that it might insult followers of the movement.

Gay rights campaigners from the group Outrage! were arrested under the Act when they protested against the Islamist fundamentalist group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was calling for the killing of gays, Jews and unchaste women.

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About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

9 Replies to “We must be free to insult each other: Rowan Atkinson attacks new rules that outlaw ‘insulting words and behaviour’”

  1. It’s good to see Rowan leading this campaign given his high profile and popularity. He’s not been afraid to speak out on issues like this in the past, and it would be heartening if more people well known to the public were as willing as he is to do so.

  2. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel that there’s hope for the free World after all?
    A year or two ago, apart from counter-jihadists, almost everyone else in the West were living dhimmi nightmares. Now we have celebs speaking out for free speech, more and more people willing to insult Islam, and a rise in political movements in Europe to stand up against Sharia. Maybe the tide is turning. Maybe the West really has had enough!

  3. Softly Bob, No it isn’t just you, more people do seem to be waking up but many are still brainwashed and shout racism and islamophobia at any criticism of islam, The difference is they are challenged more and made to justify their stance, so there is hope, but its early days..

  4. Bob for some reason the West always waits until the last minute to wake up to the danger, we are witnessing the early stages of the awakening.

  6. Wish i could share your optimism guys but i have the feeling we will be seeing less and less of Rowan Atkinson by the media in the future.

  8. Softly bob,

    The more dismal cards Islam shows in its dreadful hand – and it HAS to in order to advance any further – the more people are going to wake up to it. We’re going to win, but it will take time.

  9. And blood and treasure.

    Yes he will be shunned by the media, but the fact that he spoke out is a sign attitudes are shifting.