Is freedom of speech at British unis under threat?

When was the last time any of you were invited to speak at a University? Are they denying you the right to speak also?

Not inviting someone to speak is not the same as denying them the right to speak. No one has a right to be invited to speak. If I refuse to invite Julie Bindel to dinner, I am not denying her the right to eat.

"What are this president's new and controversial opinions?"

Birmingham is full of Jews who control the media. Apparently.

The risk that you might hear or read some dickhead spouting offensive nonsense is the price of living in a free society. I cannot see how banning anyone works in the long run. I'd rather the idiots and hate-mongers were given a platform. At least we can spot them then.

I've said this before here but I still think everyone is all for freedom of speech until someone says something they find offensive.

To elaborate: People always act as if the freedom to say sexist, racist, etc. things is under attack.

And indeed, the general public might think that being a sexist, racist asshole is considered wrong. And indeed, those "non-politically correct" opinions are met with plenty of (purely verbal) criticism.

But somehow, if you look at who really gets serious, real consequences for speaking their opinion ... it is never the rich white dudes who side with other rich white dudes.

She hasn't assumed the role yet but, as Almond points out, she has spoken out in a way that is offensive to many Jews.

Well, that's nothing new, isn't it? Apparently antisemitism is not as dead as I thought it was.

There's a pattern, isn't there? Continuing old, honoured traditions of oppression is just fine.
Speaking out against oppression ... that is what you get no-platformed for.

If she had spoken out against antisemitism, I would have been more surprised.

I think the idea of no platforming at Universities is oxymoronic. They are academic institutions of higher learning.

A number of university student unions are talking about disaffiliating from the NUS

They are pretty controversial.

It's around the conflation of Jewish people and Zionism, and stereotyping Zionists in identical ways to how Jews have been stereotyped in the past.

A number of university student unions are talking about disaffiliating from the NUS.

What are this president's new and controversial opinions?

I bet they aren't really that new and controversial.

These days, "freedom of speech" is most often cited by asshats who want to spew sexist and/or racist bullshit with impunity.

While the actual freedom of speech of people who actually want to say something controversial, such as Julie Bindel, is under threat. Or perhaps already dead.