Anti-monarchy protests and the debate over free speech

A multi-faceted issue - a pointer to some resources

A good starting point for discussing rights and liberties.

According to the Guardian this week:

"Civil liberties campaigners and others have expressed alarm about the response of police to anti-monarchy protesters after a number of incidents, the latest of which included the arrest of a man in Edinburgh for apparently heckling Prince Andrew.

The advocacy group Liberty said that new powers recently given to the police to curtail protest, and how they were being enforced by officers, were a cause for deep concern."

So also useful for looking at pressure groups.

The full article is here.

This has led to some MPs to weigh in to the argument.

As the Huff Post reports:

"A senior Tory MP has raised concerns about crackdowns on free speech following the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters during the period of national mourning.

Former Cabinet minister David Davis has written to Sir Iain Livingstone, the chief constable of Police Scotland, after two protesters were arrested and charged in connection with a breach of the peace."

So useful for looking at the role of Parliament/MPs

Read more here.

And then, of course, we start to touch upon core liberal ideas.

Read this short note from tutor2u about John Stuart Mill and the harm principle here.

And there is a very short video clip from Radio 4 here...