You can’t protect free speech by screeching hatred

Shouting about “fascism”, “hate” and “bigotry” while smashing windows and spitting in faces is not the right way to protect free speech, writes Corrine Barraclough.

Stopping people like Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking isn’t the answer. (Pic: AFP/Getty Images/Drew Angerer)

I’m baffled. How can protesters seriously shout about “fascism”, “hate” and “bigotry” while smashing windows and spitting in faces?

When furious protesters stormed Milo Yiannopoulos’ event at the University of California last Friday, they shone a worrying light on their own unacceptable, intolerant behaviour.

Yiannopoulos, a commentator and senior editor at right-wing Breitbart News, was to speak alongside Martin Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive who was recently banned from Twitter.

Martin Shkreli was reportedly hit in the face with faeces during the protest at the university. (Pic: AP/Susan Walsh)

Protesters, many wearing balaclavas, were seen jumping barricades, throwing them at police and screaming abuse. Frances Wang, a reporter for ABC10, tweeted: “My photographer was doing an interview when someone poured hot coffee on him & out (our) equipment”.

Isn’t it beautiful when these moments of unjustifiable left-wing bullying are caught on camera? Yiannopoulos posted on Facebook: “Guests were sprayed with urine and had bags of feces (sic) thrown at them”, “punches were thrown at officers” and “a reporter from the New Statesman said a table was thrown at her head”.

University officials swiftly decided it was “no longer feasible to continue with the event safely”.

Do these hooligans in hoodies not see the irony in screaming to get an event closed down because they disagree with the opinions of those invited to speak?

You can’t protect free speech by screeching hatred.

Their ideology is so confused: calling someone by the wrong pronoun is unacceptable but an act of violence is perfectly OK? Do they seriously believe free speech only applies to them?

Dear toddlers throwing tantrums: it’s easy to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Free Speech” but you have to keep it on when someone voices an opinion you disagree with.

Next these disdainful thugs will be heading to Trump’s inauguration on Friday where mass protests are planned. Oh joy. A group called #DisruptJ20 rant, “Don’t co-operate. Don’t normalise. Disrupt!”

Demonstrators hold banners as they protest in opposition of President-elect Donald Trump. (Pic: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Before you start spitting venom may I ask, where does disruption end and illegal vandalism and violence begin?

As if they’re not busy enough on home soil, American SJWs are frantically attempting to cast their cloak of control around the globe.

Fierce cyber bullies have had their keyboards in flames firing off hatred from a Facebook page dedicated to attacking white people with dreadlocks. Cries of cultural appropriation (adopting elements of one culture by another) have reached even small businesses in the UK.

Isn’t the point we’re all equal? This wasn’t even “a thing” 20 years ago. Why are you trying to make us go backwards?

For us all to achieve true equality and progress in harmony it would be helpful if an irritating pocket of society stopped inventing new terms identifying minorities and issues that only drive us apart. Bullying is never acceptable, despite your cause.