In the Media

Articles That Mention the Free Speech Union

How to Defeat Cancel Culture

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Cancel Culture continues to permeate western society and ruin lives. Toby Young is a British writer and commentator. He is also the Founder & Director of The Free Speech Union. FSU is an organization dedicate to upholding free speech and protecting those who are unjustly attacked by the mob.

Angelo Isidorou interviews Toby Young, Cancel This, 21st December 2020.

Exclusive: People must have the “right to offend” without facing a police investigation

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Bryn Harris, chief legal counsel of the Free Speech Union said the judgment was “a welcome reminder of when the law will step in to protect free speech.” He added: “We view this as a positive sign that the senior judiciary will exercise their jurisdiction forcefully, and control wayward judges in lower courts who can’t seem to remember their ever-present obligation to protect freedom of expression. The judges in this case rightly recalled that the freedom to offend is not constrained by the facile ‘obligation to be kind’ mooted by the magistrate below.”

Camilla Tominey, The Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2020.

EXCLUSIVE – “I’m disappointed but not surprised”: Eton teacher breaks silence to say college was “backed into a corner” after upholding decision to sack him over “toxic masculinity” lecture row

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The Free Speech Union which has been vocal in its support for Mr Knowland, said he intended to refer Eton’s trustees to the Charity Commission and the Attorney General. His complaint will accuse school bosses of “failing to discharge their duty to protect Eton’s reputation and to ensure it is pursuing its charitable object, which is to advance education for the benefit of its students”.

Andrew Young and Rory Tingle, MailOnline, 15th December 2020.

Sacked Eton teacher LOSES appeal: College UPHOLDS decision to axe tutor in “toxic masculinity” lecture row despite uproar from pupils

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In a statement, the union said: “The Free Speech Union is disappointed to learn that Eton’s governing body has decided to uphold the decision to sack our member Will Knowland. [… We] will be referring Eton’s trustees to the Charity Commission and the Attorney General for failing to discharge their duty to protect Eton’s reputation and to ensure it is pursuing its charitable object, which is to advance education for the benefit of its students.”

James Robinson, MailOnline, 14th December 2020.

Cambridge is a template for defending free speech

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There are important lessons here. One is the powerfully disparate nature of the victorious coalition. Its eloquent moving spirit, Dr Arif Ahmed, is a libertarian atheist philosopher, but his cause gathered support from feminists persecuted by transgender activists, Christians, conservatives and many scientists angry that their rigorous search for truth might fall foul of identity politics. The role of the Free Speech Union was also significant.

Charles Moore, The Daily Telegraph, 15th December 2020.

A victory for freedom at Cambridge shows the woke mob can only win if we let them

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Alarmed at the implications, a philosophy don called Arif Ahmed decided to take a professional risk. He was already on the advisory council of an outfit called the Free Speech Union (as am I), but he had not yet done anything to attract special attention from woke activists. Nonetheless, he set about gathering 25 signatures from fellow academics needed to force a vote on the matter. Doing so was not easy. Academics were afraid of being attacked by the same mob who had gotten Dr Carl fired. Eventually, however, he reached his target.

Juliet Samuel, The Daily Telegraph, 11th December 2020.