Speaking out for justice and human rights: challenging the government’s Prevent strategy and the Counter-terrorism and Security Act.
Listen to the event here: https://soundcloud.com/psc-10/prevent
Prevent was introduced as part of the government’s post-9/11 counter-terrorism strategy. Instead of being an effective way of genuinely countering extremism, it is rightly perceived as what Baroness Warsi called a “Cold War against British Muslims.” Now it has been given added legitimacy as part of the Counter-terrorism and Security Act (CTS), passed in 2015.
Now CTS is being used to criminalise legitimate dissent. Under the new government this is only going to get worse. Only a few days after the election, David Cameron announced even more sinister powers under this Act – a taste of what’s to come if we don’t challenge this legislation.
This public meeting brought together a broad range of speakers from different sectors – journalism, politics, arts, education, health. It is the start of a process of coalition-building across organisations and sectors to engage people in this issue and start challenging the new and serious threats we face.
Speakers (in speaking order):
Karma Nabulsi, Professor of Politics and International Relations at University of Oxford
Peter Oborne, Associate Editor of the Spectator
Jenny Jones, Green Party Assembly Member and Peer
Azad Ali, Head of Community Development and Engagement at MEND
Sally Hunt, General Secretary of UCU
Rosamund McNeil, Head of Education and Equality at NUT
Simon Natas, leading Criminal and Human Rights lawyer at ITN Solicitors
Chaired by Hugh Lanning, Chair, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Bookings
This event is fully booked.