Daily Archives: February 20, 2015

Freedom of speech denied outside of Skillet concert Pittsburgh
Winter Jam security calls the police to stop me from God talk at Christian concert ?

By: Tom Venditti

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Freedom of speech denied outside of Skillet concert Pittsburgh - Video

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, who along with his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Bahar Mohamed, was awarded a special judges prize by the Royal Television Society. Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed had been jailed by the Egyptian government for threatening national security. Photograph: Royal Television Society

The Al Jazeera journalist released from Egyptian prison at the start of February has said he is deeply concerned for the future of freedom of speech.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Peter Greste said he feels his case fits within a chilling narrative which includes the beheadings by Islamic State, the draconian responses of some governments, the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the killings in Denmark at the weekend.

The Australian-born journalist was sentenced to 7-years imprisonment in December 2013 by the Egyptian government for threatening national security, alongside colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Bahar Mohamed. Huge international pressure followed the sentence and he was eventually deported to Australia after more than 400 days in prison, including a month in solitary confinement.

Greste said the experience has made him feel even more responsibility. He added that he believes the mainstream media is more important than ever as it has the ability to conduct conversations across different communities.

He feels such dialogue is crucial to peace and he compared global conflicts to those of a family, saying that you have to keep these conversations going rather than letting someone disappear. The situation now in media was that journalists were forced to avoid certain types of stories which is incredibly dangerous.

Topsy turvy

Greste, who has been covering events in east Africa and the Middle East for the last 20 years, said everything had felt topsy turvy since his release and was now quite overwhelming. In prison, he and his colleagues had been very careful to develop a routine where he said the biggest danger was your own head.

He said that he had practised meditation every day and ran up and down a 30m corridor outside a cell for an hour each day bringing his total up to between 8 and 10km each day. He had also acquired material to study for an MA in international relations.

Last night Greste, Fahmy, and Mohamed were awarded a special judges prize by the Royal Television Society for services to journalism. Fahmy and Mohamed were released on bail last week and face a re-trial on Monday. Hopes are high that they will secure a full release.

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Jailed journalist concerned about freedom of speech

Deputy mayor defends actions

At least one Cataract fan is upset with the way municipal enforcement officers handled a couple of boisterous fans recently. However, Grand Falls-Windsor deputy mayor Barry Manuel stands behind the officers actions and says its their job to curb situations that they feel could possibly turn volatile.

In a letter to The Advertiser, fan Evan Penton said the actions of the municipal enforcement officers at the game between the Cataracts and the Caribous on Feb. 7 were, a complete violation against freedom of speech as well as an abuse of power from a local cop.

During the third period of the game, Penton said, two die hard fans were very vocal.

The men were chirping the opposing players and fans all night long, he said.

However, according to Penton, the men did not say anything vulgar or use curse words in their relentless attempts to heckle the other team.

While Penton thought that two of the fans had been removed from their seats, Blaine Piercey (one of the fans approached by the municipal enforcement officers) said it may have looked that way, but its not how things unfolded.

Piercey said he was asked by two municipal enforcement officers to come down to talk to the boss.

Thats what he did, he said.

He said that I was swearing and that its not tolerated, Piercey stated. I said I wasnt swearing, and I can prove it. He said that somebody in my section said that I hope that fellow drops down on the ice and chokes to death. I told him I never said that, and I dont think anybody said that.

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Fan claims municipal police violating freedom of speech

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, who along with his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Bahar Mohamed, was awarded a special judges prize by the Royal Television Society. Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed had been jailed by the Egyptian government for threatening national security. Photograph: Royal Television Society

The Al Jazeera journalist released from Egyptian prison at the start of February has said he is deeply concerned for the future of freedom of speech.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Peter Greste said he feels his case fits within a chilling narrative which includes the beheadings by Islamic State, the draconian responses of some governments, the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the killings in Denmark at the weekend.

The Australian-born journalist was sentenced to 7-years imprisonment in December 2013 by the Egyptian government for threatening national security, alongside colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Bahar Mohamed. Huge international pressure followed the sentence and he was eventually deported to Australia after more than 400 days in prison, including a month in solitary confinement.

Greste said the experience has made him feel even more responsibility. He added that he believes the mainstream media is more important than ever as it has the ability to conduct conversations across different communities.

He feels such dialogue is crucial to peace and he compared global conflicts to those of a family, saying that you have to keep these conversations going rather than letting someone disappear. The situation now in media was that journalists were forced to avoid certain types of stories which is incredibly dangerous.

Topsy turvy

Greste, who has been covering events in east Africa and the Middle East for the last 20 years, said everything had felt topsy turvy since his release and was now quite overwhelming. In prison, he and his colleagues had been very careful to develop a routine where he said the biggest danger was your own head.

He said that he had practised meditation every day and ran up and down a 30m corridor outside a cell for an hour each day bringing his total up to between 8 and 10km each day. He had also acquired material to study for an MA in international relations.

Last night Greste, Fahmy, and Mohamed were awarded a special judges prize by the Royal Television Society for services to journalism. Fahmy and Mohamed were released on bail last week and face a re-trial on Monday. Hopes are high that they will secure a full release.

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Jailed Al Jazeera journalist concerned about freedom of speech

Vocal Cataract fans freedom of speech violated, supporter says

A Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts fan is upset with the way municipal enforcement officers handled a couple of boisterous guys at a hockey game recently.

Submitted photo

Grand Falls-Windsor municipal enforcement officers removed this unruly fan from his seat at a recent Cataracts game, prompting fellow fans to cry foul over the police actions.

In a letter to The Advertiser, Evan Penton said the municipal enforcement officers actions at the Feb. 7 game between the Cataracts and the Clarenville Caribous were a complete violation against freedom of speech as well as an abuse of power from a local cop.

But Grand Falls-Windsor Deputy Mayor Barry Manuel says its their job to curb situations they feel could turn volatile.

When tensions get high, its a judgment call on their part how to handle the situation, he said.

Penton acknowledged the two diehard fans were very vocal during the third period, and they had been heckling the opposing players and fans all night long. But he says they didnt say anything vulgar or use curse words.

While Penton thought both of the men had been removed from their seats, one of the fans involved, Blaine Piercey, said it may have looked that way, but thats not how things unfolded.

Piercey said he was asked by the officers to come down to talk to the boss, so thats what he did.

Continued here:

Two minutes for heckling

New Delhi, Feb 19: Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai on Thursday refuted in Delhi High Court, government's charge of being anti-national by maintaining that she was against a company and her off-loading from a London-bound aircraft amounted to curtailing freedom of speech and expression.

The government, however, said "she had plans to testify on the alleged violations of forest rights of indigenous tribal people in the Mahan coal block area" of Madhya Pradesh at a meeting with the British all-party parliamentary group.

Countering this, senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Pillai, said "simply because one acts to enhance interests of certain group or community, it cannot be deduced as anti-national activity or secessionism.

"Pillai espouses the rights of tribals who are a part of the Indian Union. I (Pillai) am against a company (Essar) not against the nation", she told a bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher which reserved its judgement.

The judge said he would pass the order on the plea in which Pillai claimed that her right to freedom of speech and expression was being curtailed by an unlawful order of the executive.

37-year-old Pillai was stopped from flying to London on January 11 on the basis of a look-out-circular (LOC) issued by Intelligence Bureau (IB).

She has sought permission to travel to London to make a presentation before British MPs on alleged human rights violation at Mahan in Madhya Pradesh which, she claimed, was the reason for her being taken down from the flight at the IGI airport.

Justifying the government's decision, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain had argued that the situation had "potential for mischief" against India's economic interests.

The ASG had claimed that diplomatic relations were "fluctuating" and existing good relations were no guarantee against "something undesirable" later.

Jaising in her rebuttal to ASG submissions contended that disallowing Pillai from travelling to London was "completely unlawful and malafide and without any authority of law" and demanded quashing of the LOC against her.

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Greenpeace activist refutes govt charge of being anti-national