It wasn’t so long ago that we saw Auckland’s mayor de-platform speakers who had views that he didn’t like by taking away the council facilities that they had booked.
He did it at the last minute, making it almost impossible for them to find another venue in time. Then, due to the outrage and media smears against the speakers that had been generated by his censorship and de-platforming, the next venue caved into the pressure and threats from so-called ‘peaceful’ protesters.
Now it is happening all over again and, sadly, unless someone grows a backbone we will no longer be able to enjoy listening to brilliant speakers and deep thinkers like Jordan Peterson because New Zealand will be officially a no-go zone for free speech. Speakers with non-left-wing views simply won’t bother and the whole of New Zealand will be nothing but a left-wing echo chamber.
Jordan Peterson’s speaking tour of New Zealand has been targeted by Auckland Feminist Action. This group make me feel ashamed to be a feminist because not only are they illustrating their complete ignorance of Peterson’s actual views but they are also showing that they do not value freedom of speech unless it is their freedom to protest.
If Auckland and Christchurch Councils listen to calls to deny Peterson the use of public venues they are making it very clear that they hold freedom of speech in complete contempt.
Whatever happened to the idea that we can engage in a contest of ideas where the best ideas win? Those protesting against Peterson clearly have no faith in their ability to make better arguments than him. They would rather gag him.
The good news is that if they do shut him down they have only made themselves look weak and bad, and him look strong and good. After all, does anyone admire the person who ties someone up so that they cannot move and then beats them up? When they claim victory, who will applaud them? They are only proclaiming their weakness because they are terrified of a fair fight.
Auckland Feminist Action forget the crucial role women’s freedom of speech played in getting women the vote. How dare they deny this same freedom to me and others like me who choose to buy tickets to listen to one of the most brilliant minds of our time?
More importantly, the city councils will be breaking the law if they deplatform Peterson.
When the two Canadian speakers were de-platformed in 2018, the High Court and Court of Appeal ruled that the councils did not have the legal authority to withhold the use of public venues to speakers on the basis of their views.
The most likely tack the councils will take will be to deny him a venue on the basis of safety issues. A group like these feminists will helpfully send in a fake threat so that the mayors can claim that they had no choice but to shut the venue down.
I hope Peterson finds a private venue and keeps it secret until the day, informing those attending via text. Sadly, these anti-free speech extremists will do everything in their power to deny his audience the opportunity to make up their own minds about what he has to say.
