Archive for free speech
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Beijing 2008 Olympics: Freedom of Speech Promised then Denied
At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a promise was made that demonstrations would be allowed to go ahead without hindrance.
This has not happened, as shown by this report from Channel 4 News.
An introductory guide to the Dave Walker case
Dave Walker is a cartoonist who runs a popular website, which includes the blogs We Blog Cartoons, Cartoon Church and The Cartoon Blog.
On the morning of July 22nd 2008 he received a cease and desist letter threatening legal action unless he removed 75 posts from his Cartoon Church blog by lunchtime - i.e., half a day’s notice.
These 75 posts had reported the developing situation over a 2 year period in a UK book chain called SPCK, which had been taken over by a company run by Mark Brewer. Dave Walker’s was the main published source reporting the situation, asking questions about the management of the chain, and highlighting the treatment of the employees.
Dozens of bloggers do not think that reasonable comment should be closed down like that, and we are working to support him.
This article is an Introduction to the Campaign to what we are doing and how you can help.
My Name is Dave Walker: Posts on the Cease and Desist notice
This post is a straightforward list of blogs and websites posting about the legal threat made against cartoonist Dave Walker by Mark Brewer to force him to take down his reporting and comment about the SPCK bookshop chain’s takeover and management by the Society of Saint Stephen the Great (SSG). I followed the story, and my view is that Dave has been careful almost to a fault to stay the right side of the “defamation” line; I would happily repost everything here.
But this list is not primarily about taking a view of the SPCK/SSG “affair”; it is about the right to discuss it in public and not have anyone try and close down debate by having (or claiming to have) access to a bigger legal bludgeon. The list is articles I am aware of that have been posted; they are listed in the order I found them.
Cartoon: Lingamish
If you would like to be added to it, please email me at mattwardman at gmail dot com using the subject line “My Name is Dave Walker” with the complete webaddress of the article you have posted, and who you are. Or make a comment here.
