Rita Panahi: Don’t let totalitarian thugs impose their will

MELBOURNE didn’t look like the world’s most liveable city as crowds brawled outside Milo Yiannopoulos’ shows. But this is what happens when you let totalitarian thugs dictate who can and cannot speak in a free society, writes Rita Panahi.

MELBOURNE didn’t look like the world’s most liveable city on Monday night.

The footage of police in riot gear trying to control a baying crowd throwing rocks, bottles and even street signs looked like it was from another country, one riddled with racial and religious unrest.

That is what happens when you let totalitarian thugs dictate who can and cannot speak in a free society.

THUGS TURNING AUSTRALIA INTO US-STYLE SOCIETY: MILO

MILO’S OUTRAGEOUS PARLIAMENT Q&A

It says much about the appalling climate of censorship in Australia that a speech by UK firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos can inspire the mayhem that we saw in Kensington.

Calling yourself “anti-fascists” doesn’t fool anybody when you behave like fascists by using violence to silence dissenting voices. Some of the feral mob even blamed police for the violence outside the Australian Pavilion.

Protesters fight outside the show. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Police use pepper spray to quell the violence Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Here’s a novel idea that might have not occurred to Yiannopoulos’s critics: ignore him.

Last time I checked, no one was forced to buy a ticket to hear him speak and he is not inciting violence.

If you find Yiannopoulos offensive or intellectually vacuous, feel free to ignore his Australian tour.

That is what normal, sane folk do when someone they don’t like visits the country. What you don’t do is riot for five hours and elevate a minor event to front page news.

Alternatively, you could mount an argument against the Brit’s worldview.

If you don’t have much going on in life you may opt to show your displeasure by peacefully protesting; but you have no right to use violence to intimidate individuals and businesses in order to shut down an event you don’t like.

What is it about elements of the Far Left that cannot abide diversity of thought?

Why do these people think they can trample on the rights of others who want to hear a speech or attend a book launch or speak to a member of parliament?

Let’s not pretend that violent protesters trying to silence ideological opponents is a problem with both sides of politics. Far Left commentators are free to speak without the threat of riots. When visiting Australia they are typically invited on programs on the public broadcaster and can appear at university campuses without fear.

The venues where they appear are not monstered by a targeted campaign of harassment nor are their audience subjected to vile slurs and acts of violence. That’s how it should be.

But elements of the Left appear incapable of such civility. In recent months we have seen Ayaan Hirsi Ali targeted by a disgraceful smear campaign from Leftists feminists.

In the end the women’s right campaigner and FGM victim cancelled her Australian tour. Conservative columnist Andrew Bolt was forced to cancel his book launch due to threats from Far Left groups; that was a month after he was assaulted in Carlton by Leftist activists while attending a book launch by Professor Steve Kates.

Even a meeting between members of the Jewish community and One Nation MPs had to be cancelled late last year because of security concerns posed by, funnily enough, so-called “anti-fascist” groups.

Yiannopoulos speaking at Parliament House. Picture: AAP

As for Yiannopoulos, he is a best-selling author who is brash, crass and controversial — but anyone who is familiar with his writing, rather than the one dimensional characterisation provided by much of the media — would know he can also be perspicacious and witty.

He is from the Donald Trump school of conservatism which at times bears no resemblance to traditional conservatism.

What Trump and Yiannopoulos do is fight using the Left’s rule book. They engage in hyperbole, can be hypocritical and do not shy away from personal abuse of opponents. They would rather win dirty than lose with dignity.

It’s no surprise that the group that unearthed the damaging video of Yiannopoulos seeming to condone underage sex is the same one that has campaigned tirelessly against Trump, the Reagan Battalion.

What he said in the video is his greatest “crime” although he has apologised sincerely.

I and many other conservatives slammed Yiannopoulos for the comments, which suggested that “coming of age relationships” between older men and young boys can be positive.

He was talking about his own experience of having a sexual relationship with a 29-year-old priest when he was 17.

A protester brandishes a wooden club as fighting breaks out in the street. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Angry locals from the adjacent blocks taunt police. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Protesters attack a man from a right wing affiliated group. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Yiannopoulos has been labelled everything from “anti-queer” to “racist” by clownish commentators. That would seem strange given he is gay and married to a black man. Meanwhile they ignore his commentary on the plight of homosexuals in the Muslim world and the fear of such attitudes gaining a foothold in the West.

Extensive polling by ICM showed that 52 per cent of British Muslims think homosexuality should be illegal, compared with 5 per cent among the wider population. Never mind being supportive of same sex marriage, half of this growing community in Britain think that being gay should be a crime — only 18 per cent of Muslims polled thought that homosexuality should be legal in Britain.

But no one cares to talk about such issues when they can instead be outraged by Yiannopoulos not liking aboriginal art or calling Waleed Aly a “coward”.

If you’re familiar with Yiannopoulos’ work and can differentiate between jokes and serious commentary then you’d find the outrage about his tour bemusing.

The organisers were even forced to keep venue details secret — to reduce the chances of businesses being badgered — until a few hours before each event.

It’s absurd to allow a small number of troublemakers to infringe on the rights of others. Any protesters, far left or right, who engage in acts of violence must face the full consequences of their lawlessness.

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@ritapanahi