Is free speech in the UK reserved solely for the woke elite?
Unpacking the latest on two tiered justice for free speech and mass immigration in the United Kingdom with David Atherton.
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Tonight, on The Ezra Levant Show, Ezra catches up with David Atherton — a rogue, troublemaking freelance journalist from the UK — for a feature-length interview.
The United Kingdom, often lauded for its democratic traditions and commitment to individual liberties, appears to be grappling with a concerning double standard when it comes to free speech, particularly concerning sensitive political and social issues. Recent events at high-profile music festivals and in the justice system highlight what many are calling a "two-tier" approach, where certain expressions are tolerated or even celebrated, while others face swift and severe repercussions.
A perfect example is the annual Glastonbury Festival, a cultural touchstone in the UK, has long been associated with progressive ideals. Yet, recent performances pushed the boundaries of what many consider acceptable. At this year's event, tickets for which cost nearly £400, a price point attracting an affluent, predominantly white and often self-described "progressive" audience, the atmosphere seemed different.
This is called the Reverse Khaleesi. https://t.co/wku0asWasc
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) June 30, 2025
The talking point this year centres around an incident involved a punk rap duo called Bob Vylan, whose performance included chants like "Death to the IDF" and "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free."
These slogans, widely interpreted as calls for the ethnic cleansing of Israel, were met with cheers from the crowd and were even broadcast live on the BBC. This same artist also expressed profound disdain for England, despite being born there, telling the audience to "shut the f--k up" when discussing "taking our country back." Another band, Kneecap, named after a paramilitary tactic of shooting people in the knees, openly displayed a terrorist flag during their set.
To the people objecting that we shouldn't be responding to thus because it makes the guy famous, I would say yes. The left raised him up, so now they should be forced to own him and his message as the face of left wing politics in Britain. This is what they are, make them own it pic.twitter.com/MgTEhFYZkW
— Carl Benjamin 🏴 (@Sargon_of_Akkad) June 30, 2025
Their music explicitly supports Hamas and Hezbollah seemingly without immediate consequence. The Metropolitan Police later stated they would not be filing charges against Kneecap for their overt support of terrorist groups.
The leniency extended to these artists stands in stark contrast to the treatment of individuals who express "intemperate words" on social media. A compelling example is Lucy Connolly, a mother who, in an emotional reaction to the stabbing of young girls by a Muslim convert in Southport, posted a critical tweet. Despite quickly deleting it, she was sentenced to 31 months in prison, a decision upheld on appeal.
This has become the quickest path from talentless nobody to niche-famous — just ask Kneecap, Dave Smith, and now Bob Vylan.
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) June 29, 2025
The new fans don’t care if you suck — as long as you hate Jews loud enough. https://t.co/TBnhqMnCmA
This disparity underscores the notion of a judicial system that applies different standards based on the content of the speech and the identity of the speaker. Yet, as seen with the Glastonbury performances, extreme bigotry and even pro-terrorism commentary can seemingly be brushed aside or tolerated, particularly when aligned with certain political narratives.
COMMENTS
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Anthony Salotti commented 2025-07-02 06:51:34 -0400Good going USA . Never let this garbage in . -
Bruce Atchison commented 2025-07-01 21:06:38 -0400Brits must push out the establishment and get common sense people in power. Neither must such people tiptoe around landmine subjects like immigration and antisemitism. I suspect that many folks are fed up with wobbly politicians bowing to tiny minorities. It’s time to be bold and brave. It’s time to be proud of common sense conservative values.
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Paul Scofield commented 2025-07-01 20:32:50 -0400Delighted to see that Vylan’s visa to visit the U.S. was pulled by Sec. of State Rubio. We have enough trash. We don’t need his kind here.
