WATCH: Aussies rally against MAD censorship bill
Australia's Misinformation and Disinformation Bill threatens free speech and shields mainstream media and the government from accountability.
A large crowd gathered in Melbourne to protest the Australian government’s controversial Misinformation and Disinformation Bill.
The proposed legislation, which would give the government unprecedented power to silence voices deemed to be spreading false information, has sparked concerns over censorship.
It’s been such an honour to be part of the growth of a grass roots group of people committed to defending the rights of Australians.
— David Limbrick MP 🌸 (@_davidlimbrick) October 7, 2024
At the next federal election, Victorians will find no one better to defend their rights in the senate than Jordan. https://t.co/ArFkynVSMM
Libertarian MP David Limbrick called out the bill for deciding “what truth is and what truth isn't,” warning that social media companies would be forced to act as government enforcers.
Today I spoke to a crowd of around 200 on why Free Speech is worth fighting for.
— Krystle Mitchell (@Just_Krystle_M) October 5, 2024
A big thank-you to the @LibertariansVic for giving me the stage ✌️ https://t.co/3JDbxP4lZA
While the bill targets everyday citizens, the mainstream media and government would be exempt.
“Of course they exempt themselves," Limbrick said. "They get called out for misinformation all the time. You only have to go to X (formerly Twitter) to see Prime Minister himself has been called out by X's own Community Notes system. They spread misinformation all the time, so of course they want to exempt themselves from it.”
"If the MAD (Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill passes then I think every single time there's an opportunity to criticise the government over poor decision-making, which they have a pretty good track record of doing, there just won't be opportunities for people to speak out against that to criticise them to ridicule them it's not a healthy way for a democracy to live," former Police Officer Krystle Mitchell, who is running for Melbourne City Council, told me.
"I don't want to be modelling countries like North Korea and China where suppression of free speech is commonplace."
“The libertarians are not scared” https://t.co/tX3Dr4Amjo
— David Limbrick MP 🌸 (@_davidlimbrick) October 5, 2024
Many compared the bill’s restrictions to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.
“I grew up in high school when we all had to read 1984 and you went oh that's never going to happen and now I feel like I'm living it,” remarked one woman, who said that an adverse reaction to the Covid vaccine had awakened her to the need to be able to talk openly about issues.
"I don't want my grandchildren to look at me and say Nana, why didn't you protect our freedom of speech when you could have, so and I think we all have a right to freedom of speech."
Viva la libertad carajo!!! https://t.co/ICgKf9VL5a
— Jordan Dittloff (@Dittloff4Senate) October 5, 2024
Avi Yemini
Chief Australian Correspondent
Avi Yemini is the Australia Bureau Chief for Rebel News. He's a former Israeli Defence Force marksman turned citizen journalist. Avi's most known for getting amongst the action and asking the tough questions in a way that brings a smile to your face.
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