British police risk silencing the immigration debate in the UK, an American journalist and free speech campaigner has told GB News.
Michael Shellenberger, who has worked to expose censorship around the world, told this channel there was a “chilling effect” of authorities telling people to “think before you post” following the recent anti-immigration riots and protests.
Several arrests were made of individuals who made social media posts around the recent riots, including people who were accused of inciting violence, hatred and spreading “inaccurate information”.
Shellenberger told GB News: “You don't want people to feel inhibited and afraid of posting legal content on social media.”
Michael Shellenberger has issued a warning to Britain
GB News
Tory MP Philip Davies has called for the government to tackle immigration.PA“I mean, I think we would all do better to not be reactive, but you worry that people are going to basically not engage in important political discussions, including around what may be the most important issue in all of the major Western countries right now, which is, what do we do about this huge influx of migrants and do we keep accepting them?”
“There has to be a robust debate about that, otherwise we can't function as democracies.”
Cheshire police released a statement on 8 August saying a woman had been arrested “in relation to social media post containing inaccurate information about the identity of the attacker in the Southport murders”.
Michael Shellenberger: Immigration debate is being silenced by thought police
The statement said: “The 55-year-old woman from near Chester, was arrested earlier today, Thursday 8 August, on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred (S19 of the Public Order Act 1986) and false communications (S179 Online Safety Act 2023).”
Shellenberger said it was right that those who insight immediate violence should face legal consequences, describing some of the posts around the riots as “ugly”.
He continued: “When people say we should go burn down those migrant hotels, I think that's sort of the archetypal case here.”
“It's one thing when the mob, they're assembled, to say that, it's another thing to say ‘somebody should burn them all down’ or just say something like that.”
“I think it's ugly and reprehensible and should be condemned. I don't think it should require prison.”
The free speech campaigner continued: “I definitely worry about what's called concept creep, which is the widening definition of what constitutes harm.”
“It seems to me to be a recipe for the abuse of power.”
During the anti-immigration protests the official British government’s X account wrote: “Think before you post”.
The statement linked to another from the Crown Prosecution Service who warned the public: “Content that incites violence or hatred isn't just harmful - it can be illegal.”
Shellenberger slammed the government for its overreach on free speech issues.
The journalist said: “The idea that you're going to have the government go and prosecute people for lying, it's absurd.”
“It's a recipe for arbitrary enforcement of laws.”
“And remember, arbitrary enforcement is just a huge concern for all liberal democracies.”
He continued: “Part of the reason you don't want to criminalise in such broad ways is that it allows for arbitrary prosecution.”
“So some forms of speech would be prosecuted and others wouldn't.”
“It allows for basically a politicisation of the judiciary.”
“I think that's a really bad, dangerous thing.”