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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250403T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250403T220000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083234
CREATED:20250319T114940Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250319T114940Z
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SUMMARY:COMEDY UNLEASHED MANCHESTER
DESCRIPTION:Comedy Unleashed social nights are monthly in Manchester and Leeds. Free Speech Union supporters can meet up\, chat to like-minded people\, have a drink and enjoy some free-thinking comedy. Comedy Unleashed book comedians who have been cancelled and comics who go against the grain. On Thursday 3rd April\, come and see Leo Kearse\, Darius Davies\, Mags McHugh and MC Bruce Devlin. Free Speech Union Members and Supporters can get a 10% discount on tickets by entering the promo code FreeSpeech.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-manchester-4/
LOCATION:Lloyd Street Bar\, Lloyd Street Bar\, 22 Lloyd Street\, Manchester\, M2 5WA\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials,Partner Event
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250404T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250404T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083234
CREATED:20250319T113644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250319T115404Z
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SUMMARY:COMEDY UNLEASHED LEEDS
DESCRIPTION:Comedy Unleashed social nights are monthly in Leeds and Manchester. Free Speech Union supporters can meet up\, chat to like-minded people\, have a drink and enjoy some free-thinking comedy. Comedy Unleashed book comedians who have been cancelled and comics who go against the grain. On Friday 4th April\, come and see Leo Kearse\, Darius Davies\, Elaine Miller\, Intel Lady and MC Bruce Devlin. Free Speech Union Members and Supporters can get a 10% discount on tickets by entering the promo code FreeSpeech.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/comedy-unleashed-leeds-3/
LOCATION:The Hi-Fi Club\, Leeds 2 Central Road\, Leeds\, LS1 6DE
CATEGORIES:Live Comedy Specials,Partner Event
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250411T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250411T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083234
CREATED:20250217T144656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250325T195118Z
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SUMMARY:BELFAST SPEAKEASY: Policing the Streets vs Policing our Tweets
DESCRIPTION:BELFAST SPEAKEASY: Policing the Streets vs Policing our Tweets \nDATE: Friday 11th April\, 2025 \nTIME:   \n6.30pm Doors and bar open.   \n7.30pm to 9pm Panel with Q & A.   \n9pm to 10.30pm Social.  \nVENUE: The Ulster Museum\, Stranmillis Road\, Botanic Gardens\, Belfast\, BT9 5AB  \nTICKETS: £8 for FSU members\, £12 for non-members\, £5 for students  \nJoin us for a lively evening of conversation and debate as the FSU hosts its third Northern Ireland Speakeasy.  \nWe have a panel of three amazing speakers: free speech activist Harry Miller\, journalist and editor of spiked magazine Tom Slater and Belfast-based writer Jenny Holland.  \nHarry Miller is the co-founder of the pressure group Fair Cop and was the first person to shine a light on the problem of the Orwellian-sounding ‘Non-Crime Hate Incidents’ (NCHIs). An NCHI can be logged against an individual’s name and held in police files even though that person has said and done nothing illegal. In Harry’s case\, it was the retweeting of a feminist limerick that led to him being investigated by Humberside Police in 2019. Unfortunately for Humberside Police but fortunately for free speech the police had picked on ‘the wrong guy’. Harry fought back and won two landmark free speech cases at the High Court and the Court of Appeal.   \nIn the High Court ruling\, the judge\, Mr Justice Julian Holmes\, said:  \n“The effect of the police turning up at his place of work because of his political opinions must not be underestimated. To do so would be to undervalue a cardinal democratic freedom. In this country we have never had a Cheka\, a Gestapo or a Stasi. We have never lived in an Orwellian society…the police’s actions\, taken as a whole\, had a chilling effect on his right to freedom of expression.”  \nWhen Harry went on to take the College of Policing to the Court of Appeal in 2021 to challenge their ‘Hate Crime Operational Guidance’\, he won a significant victory for free speech. Thanks to Harry’s persistence\, these judgements can be cited by other free speech campaigners and he has worked tirelessly on behalf of members of the public whose lawful expression has been subject to similar unwanted police attention. He regularly appears in the media\, and writes for The Critic Magazine.  \nTom Slater is the editor of spiked — the magazine that campaigns for freedom of speech\, with no ifs and no buts. He also writes regularly for the Spectator\, has written for the Sun\, the Telegraph and the Sunday Times\, and he appears regularly on TV and radio. Tom is also co-host of the spiked podcast\, a weekly round-up of news and controversy\, and Last Orders\, a podcast all about freedom and the nanny state. Spiked is about to celebrate its twenty-fifth  anniversary and over that period\, it has won a reputation for being the one of the most bold and consistent defenders of free speech.  \nJenny Holland is an Irish-American writer based in Belfast. She spent several years working in mainstream media in the US\, including three years working at the New York Times\, before returning to Northern Ireland. She now writes Saving Culture (from itself) on Substack\, and has written for spiked\, the Critic\, Feminist Current and the Spectator US.  \nCome along on Friday 11th April to hear from our fascinating panel and to have your say.  \n 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/belfast-speakeasy-policing-the-streets-vs-policing-our-tweets/
LOCATION:Ulster Museum\, Stranmillis Road\, Botanic Gardens\, Belfast\, BT9 5AB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250428T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250428T210000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083234
CREATED:20250325T185915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250325T185915Z
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SUMMARY:"Lifeblood of Democracy" - Is Freedom of the Press safe in Keir Starmer’s hands?
DESCRIPTION:“Lifeblood of Democracy” – Is Freedom of the Press safe in Keir Starmer’s hands?\nMonday 28th April\, 2025\nDoors open and welcome drinks from 6.45pm. \nPanel discussion and Q and A\, 7.30pm to 9pm. \nReception to follow\, until 10.30pm. \nPrince Phillip House\, 3 Carlton House Terrace\, London SW1Y 5DG. \nTICKETS: Free Speech Union Members: £12; Non-members: £20; Students: £14.\nIn October 2024\, Sir Keir Starmer declared in the Sun newspaper that “journalism is the lifeblood of democracy and journalists are guardians of “democratic values”. Condemning the use of “SLAPPS”\, or Strategic Litigation Against Public Participations”\, by the rich and powerful to intimidate journalists from their pursuit of the public interest\, he went on to pledge that his government would “always champion Press freedoms”. \nBut to seasoned journalists with longer memories\, these words rang hollow as they recalled the PM’s role in pursuing the prosecution of dozens of British journalists as part of Operation Elveden\, while he was Director of Public Prosecutions. \nOperation Elveden was a knee-jerk response to the phone-hacking scandal which had led to the closure of the News of the World in 2011 and was prompted by news organisations handing over evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service of payments made to sources by their own journalists. The Metropolitan Police staged a wave of dawn raids on journalists’ homes\, made mass arrests and charged 29 journalists with conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. After five years of investigation and multiple trials\, the longest and costliest investigation in the history of Scotland Yard\, every single journalist walked free. \nThe Free Speech Union is pleased to publish an essay which examines the significance of this unprecedented attack on the freedom of the press and questions whether the PM can really be trusted to defend the Fourth Estate. It is authored by veteran political journalist and stalwart defender of press freedom\, retired Sun political editor Trevor Kavanagh. \nWe will mark its publication with a special event to discuss current threats to press freedom\, featuring Trevor\, journalist Anthony France\, who was one of those prosecuted\, and Sir Geoffrey Cox KC\, former Attorney-General\, who successfully defended Sun deputy editor Geoff Webster during the Elveden trials. In the chair will be FSU General Secretary Toby Young. \nSPEAKERS \nTrevor Kavanagh was the award-winning political editor of The Sun for a quarter of a century. He was present at all key moments of the marathon five-year Elveden fiasco. He witnessed the persecution of innocent journalists on trumped up charges of “conspiracy” – a medieval 13th century statute which the CPS admitted was hard to explain and difficult for juries to understand. He was in court as the trials collapsed\, one after another\, under the scrutiny of the defence counsel and increasingly sceptical Old Bailey judges. And he witnessed the final humiliation of the CPS when its counsel was asked in the Appeal Court by Lord Chief Justice Thomas: “Have you at any stage considered the freedom of the press?” \nAnthony France is Crime Editor at the London Standard and a respected UK and international journalist with 30 years’ experience. He was one of 29 journalists arrested and prosecuted as part of Operation Elveden and one of only three to be convicted. Anthony was eventually acquitted – but not until 18 months later and long after he had completed 400 hours of community service with Oxfam. Along with the other suspects he had spent almost three years on police bail\, a form of pre-trial punishment and harassment. None of the acquitted journalists received an apology from the CPS or the police or any form of compensation for their ordeal. \nSir Geoffrey Cox\, KC\, has been the Conservative member of parliament for Torridge and Tavistock since 2005. He was appointed Attorney General of England and Wales and Advocate General of Northern Ireland by Theresa May in 2018 and was knighted in 2021 for his services. He is among the Bar’s most eloquent and formidable performers and became famous during Parliament’s long and heated battle over Brexit for his impassioned defence of British sovereignty. \nChair: Toby Young (Lord Young of Acton). \nToby Young is a British journalist and campaigner. He is the founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union\, an associate editor of The Spectator and the editor-in-chief of the Daily Sceptic. He was made a life peer in 2024.
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/lifeblood-of-democracy-is-freedom-of-the-press-safe-in-keir-starmers-hands/
LOCATION:Prince Phillip House\, 3 Carlton House Terrace\, London\, SW1Y 5DG\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Public Debates
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250430T191500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250430T223000
DTSTAMP:20250624T083234
CREATED:20250319T083637Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250319T084018Z
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SUMMARY:POLICING PRIORITIES: THE FREE SPEECH PERSPECTIVE
DESCRIPTION:POLICING PRIORITIES: THE FREE SPEECH PERSPECTIVE  \nWednesday 30th April  \nThe Counting House\, 34 West Nicolson St\, Newington\, Edinburgh EH8 9DD.  \nPanel debate 7.15pm to 9pm\, (doors open 6.30pm)\, bar open until 10.30pm.  \nCLICK HERE FOR TICKETS \nWhile ‘minor crimes’ like theft\, burglary\, and assault are deprioritised\, resources seem increasingly directed towards monitoring online speech\, recording ‘non-crime hate incidents’\, and enforcing perception-based policing – where an activist’s allegation alone can trigger serious consequences for the accused.  \nA year after police began enforcing the country’s controversial Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act\, what has been the impact on free speech\, policing\, and public trust?  \nDo the police and our legal system make Scotland a fairer\, safer society – or are they the backdrop to a new era of what Scottish writer Ewan Morrison describes as “cute authoritarianism” – a dystopian society in which essential freedoms are sacrificed on our behalf by authorities who claim we require protection from hurt feelings and offence to our identities? What happens to public life when subjective feelings dictate legal consequences? And if Scotland is a testing ground\, is this a glimpse of what awaits the rest of us?  \nJoin us on 30th April 2025 for an unmissable discussion with a panel of experts who know the legal and policing landscape inside out. With us will be: Keith Stewart KC\, Scotland’s former chief lawyer in Whitehall; Neil Hay\, Head of Private Crime at top law firm Levy & McRae; and Calum Steele\, ex-General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation. The discussion will be chaired by journalist Kapil Summan.  \nPanel debate 7.15pm – 9pm\, (doors open 6.30pm)\, bar open until 10.30pm. There will\, of course\, be plenty of time for discussion\, as well as socialising with fellow free speech supporters.  \nThe FSU returns to The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, for this panel discussion\, Q and A and social. Book now to be part of it.  \nTickets are £5 for FSU members\, £10 for non-members.  \nJOIN the FSU to get discounts at all events.  \nSPEAKERS:  \nKeith Stewart KC served as Advocate-depute 2002-2009\, as senior Advocate-depute from 2004\, and took silk in 2011. In 2020 he was appointed to the post of Advocate General for Scotland\, being granted a peerage with the title of Lord Stewart of Dirleton. He served until 2024 as one of the UK Government’s three law officers\, in which capacity he provided confidential advice on law\, spoke for the Government on the floor of the House of Lords\, and carried out scrutiny of proposed primary and secondary legislation. Keith instructed a number of cases of constitutional significance relating to the legislative competence of Scottish Parliament legislation. Since then he has resumed private practice at the Bar and continues to serve on the Opposition front bench in the House of Lords.  \nNeil Hay is the Head of Private Crime at renowned legal firm\, Levy & McRae\, Solicitors. He leads a team of lawyers specialising in criminal law\, providing legal advice and court representation for professional and high-profile clients. Neil has practised as a solicitor\, and as a solicitor-advocate\, for a total of nearly thirty years and\, accordingly has wide expertise of Scottish court prosecutions. In 2024\, FSU developed a strategic partnership with Levy & McRae to provide advice to FSU and its members in relation to legal issues such as the Hate Crime Act.  \nCalum Steele is the former General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation having served in the role for 15 years prior to his retirement in 2023. Calum also served as the General Secretary of the only international confederation of police unions (ICPRA) for 14 years\, and as both Vice-President and President of the European Confederation of Police for 8 years. Amongst other things Calum is now a columnist with the Herald newspaper.  \nCHAIR: Kapil Summan is a journalist based in Edinburgh with more than a decade’s experience covering legal affairs. 
URL:https://freespeechunion.org/event/policing-priorities-the-free-speech-perspective/
LOCATION:The Counting House\, 38 West Nicolson Street\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9DD\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Regional Speakeasies
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