Latest news with #FreeSpeech
Al Arabiya
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Judge says he will order Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from detention
A federal judge says he'll order Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil released from immigration detention. Judge Michael Farbiarz made the ruling from the bench in federal court in New Jersey on Friday. Lawyers for the Columbia graduate had asked a federal judge to immediately release him on bail from a Louisiana jail or else transfer him to New Jersey where he can be closer to his wife and newborn son. Khalil was the first arrest under President Donald Trump's crackdown on students who joined campus protests against Israel's devastating war in Gaza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Khalil must be expelled from the country because his continued presence could harm American foreign policy. The same judge had ruled earlier that the government can continue to detain the legal US resident based on allegations that he lied on his green card application. Khalil disputes the accusations that he wasn't forthcoming on the application. The judge previously determined that Khalil couldn't continue being held based on the US secretary of state's determination that he could harm American foreign policy. Khalil, a legal US resident, was detained on March 8 at his apartment building in Manhattan over his participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. His lawyers say the Trump administration is simply trying to crack down on free speech. Khalil isn't accused of breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. The international affairs graduate student served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists. He wasn't among the demonstrators arrested, but his prominence in news coverage and willingness to speak publicly made him a target of critics. The Trump administration has argued that noncitizens who participate in such demonstrations should be expelled from the country, as it considers their views antisemitic.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Kneecap: Protests outside court as rapper appears on terror charge
Supporters of Irish language hip-hop group Kneecap have gathered outside a court in London where one of the rappers is appearing on a terror Óg Ó hAnnaidh, charged under the name Liam O'Hanna, is accused of allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London 27-year-old, who performs under the name Mo Chara, is appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on a statement, posted on social media in May, Kneecap said: "We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves." Fans outside the court could be seen with placards saying "Free Mo Chara" and "Defend Kneecap".Large green flags saying "Free Speech, Free Palestine" are also on said it had "plastered" London with messages of support for its band member.A mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags were being held by some of the crowd, and cheers were heard after a van drove past displaying the slogan "More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara". Who are Kneecap? Kneecap are an Irish-speaking rap trio who have courted controversy with their provocative lyrics and group was formed in 2017 by three musicians who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.Their rise to fame inspired a semi-fictionalised film starring Oscar-nominated actor Michael film won a British Academy of Film Award (Bafta) in February April, the group faced criticism after displaying messages about the war in Gaza during their set at US music festival November 2024, the group won its case against the UK government over a decision Kemi Badenoch took when she was a minister to withdraw an arts grant.
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Extra.ie
In pics: Kneecap fans gather outside court in support of Mo Chara
A handful of Kneecap fans gathered outside court on Wednesday morning with a mixture of Palestinian and Kneecap flags. 27-year-old Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is known as Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday following the alleged incident during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London. The charge Og O hAnnaidh faces alleges he displayed a flag in a public place, 'in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation' – namely, Hezbollah. Kneecap Pic: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images A microphone stand was being set up behind metal barriers that had been erected to create an area for fans. Supporters of Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire/PA Images Austrian Alexandra Kennedy, who had travelled from her home country to show support, said: 'I think that Kneecap are important to so many people that if Liam Og O hAnnaidh gets a heavy sentence, then maybe people will lose something, they need the connection to Kneecap. Supporters of Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire/PA Images 'They trigger good and they trigger strong feelings.' Supporters of Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire/PA Images She said many of Kneecap's fans seek solace in their music while suffering mental health issues. Supporters of Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire/PA Images Ms Kennedy said the rap group should 'be aware of the social responsibility they have. It's not only music, it's much more than this'. Supporters of Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh outside Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. Pic: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire/PA Images Fans could be seen with placards saying Free Mo Chara, referring to the rapper's stage name, and Defend Kneecap. A large green flag saying Free Speech, Free Palestine was also on display. The small crowd cheered as an ad van emblazoned with the support slogan used for Mo Chara – More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara – drove past the court. Kneecap described the prosecution as a 'witch hunt' in a post on X on Tuesday evening.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Fetterman and Bill Maher agree chaos in LA and Dem reaction to riots will be 'good for Trump'
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and "Real Time" host Bill Maher agreed on Friday that the optics of Democrats defending the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles will be "good for Trump" as scenes of chaos from the riots continue to go viral on social media. Maher noted that some on the left condemned Fetterman after he denounced the violence happening in the streets of Los Angeles and agreed that "it doesn't do the Democratic Party any good to defend" the violent protests. Fetterman issued a strong message on X Monday evening denouncing the riots in L.A. and included a now-infamous photo showing a rioter standing on a car while waving the Mexican flag surrounded by raging flames. Fetterman Emerges As Dems' 'Voice Of Reason' As La Burns, Conservatives Say "I agree. When they see it in a campaign ad, when they see the guy with the Mexican flag and the Waymo burning behind him, it's going to be good for Trump," said Maher. Fetterman concurred, noting that most Americans don't want to see Los Angeles "on fire twice in just six months now." Read On The Fox News App Reflecting on the political impact of such imagery, he asked, "And those optics, I just run that through — like what's the people in Scranton might see those kinds of images and those kinds of videos?" Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Maher then emphasized that Fetterman's views on free speech and immigration still align with core Democratic values, and those who are calling him out are doing so because he's not a "progressive," adding that "we don't even know what these terms mean" in today's political climate. The "Real Time" host said that he sees himself as an "old-school Democrat," to which Fetterman agreed. "That's the thing," Fetterman replied. "It's like your values — I don't think have changed — I know mine haven't really changed. But I think our party has changed and now if you actually kind of point out and call out a lot of these things, you know, you do take a political price for a lot of those things." Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this article source: John Fetterman and Bill Maher agree chaos in LA and Dem reaction to riots will be 'good for Trump'
CNN
7 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Anti-Trump protests cap a week of free speech stress tests across America
Virtually every flashpoint in American politics right now involves the First Amendment right to free speech and free expression. Some of this tension is due to President Donald Trump, who vowed in his inaugural address to 'bring back free speech to America,' but who keeps showing that he wants some forms of speech to carry a great cost. From arrests of Palestinian activists to blitzes against universities to threats against demonstrators in Washington, DC, the Trump administration's actions and words have alarmed free speech organizations — and have fueled Saturday's 'No Kings' protests across the country. 'Trump's retaliation campaign against free speech has entered a new and even more dangerous phase,' Nora Benavidez, a civil rights and free speech attorney at the group Free Press, told CNN Friday. Get Reliable Sources newsletter Sign up here to receive Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter in your inbox. International human rights groups have taken notice. Amnesty International denounced Trump's recent claim that any protests during Saturday's Army parade would be met with 'very big force.' 'Now is a good moment to remind President Trump that protesting is a human right and that his administration is obligated to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly – not suppress them,' the group said in a statement. Between the military parade in DC and the anti-Trump demonstrations expected in all 50 states, Saturday is shaping up to be a huge show of — and test for — free speech rights. Ezra Levin, the co-founder of Indivisible, a progressive nonprofit, said Friday on CNN's 'Inside Politics' that 'we want to see people exercising their First Amendment rights, because when those rights are under threat, if you don't stand up in defense of them, you don't have those rights.' First Amendment freedoms — and concerns about whether they're being upheld — are a through-line of numerous legal battles and administration maneuvers. The editorial board of The Everett Herald in Washington state put it this way on Thursday: 'The First Amendment has been getting a workout in recent days. Even amid abuses of those rights, that's for the good.' It's also keeping advocacy groups very busy. Benavidez said the examples of Trump 'targeting perceived enemies and dissenting voices' with investigations and public intimidation are almost too extensive to list. 'This is all an escalation of the Trump administration's scheme to silence critics and weaken any institutional and societal checks against his abuse of power — all the while promoting a version of free speech that rewards capitulation and penalizes anything less,' she said. Trump officials and allies have repeatedly cited security risks while curtailing free speech rights, as in the case of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate at the center of a high-profile deportation fight over his pro-Palestinian views. Security concerns were also invoked when Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press conference on Thursday. Rep. Nancy Pelosi condemned the handcuffing of Padilla by calling it 'an assault on freedom of speech in our country.' Press groups have also warned about potential First Amendment violations during the anti-ICE protests in L.A. and other cities. On Friday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and 60 media outlets, including CNN, sent a letter to federal, state, and local officials asking them to ensure that authorities uphold the rights of journalists to report on law enforcement activity without reprisal. These days, free versus restricted speech is not the relevant dividing line. Rather, it's favored versus disfavored speech — and Trump is very explicit about which is which. During his falling-out with Elon Musk, Trump said Musk would face 'very serious consequences' if he funded Democratic challengers to Republican candidates, a comment that many interpreted as a threat. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Trump boasted about 'getting rid of woke in our schools, our military, and just in our society,' claiming, 'You're not seeing woke anymore. It almost became illegal.' His recent assertion that masks are not allowed at protests was also seen, by civil liberties groups, as an infringement on the right to free expression. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's moves against media outlets like The Associated Press, Voice of America, NPR and PBS have spawned First Amendment lawsuits in recent weeks. Several of the targeted outlets cited Trump's claims about bias and 'fake news' to argue that the president committed viewpoint discrimination. Critics say various other actions — like deleting government websites and stripping books from shelves — have also been against the spirit, even when not against the letter, of the First Amendment. California Governor Gavin Newsom raised the subject in his address to the state on Tuesday night. Trump is 'delegitimizing news organizations and he's assaulting the First Amendment,' Newsom said. He concluded by telling residents, 'if you exercise your First Amendment rights, please, please do it peacefully.'
