Mediaboss Marketing

Since the beginning of the year, almost sixty-eight bills have been introduced in state legislatures that could infringe on the right to protest. Some of the bills seek to increase penalties for certain protests. Others aim to expand the definition of riot in order to criminalize certain protests. LegisScan only rates six of the bills as not clearly partisan. Based on the bills sponsors, LegisScan rated two as partisan Democratic and over fifty are ranked partisan Republican. A Florida bill (HB 1/SB 484) is particularly concerning and threatens to criminalize peaceful protestors present when others commit crimes. The bill has passed the state house and is headed to the senate for a full vote.

Several of the bills are backed by industry groups with a financial stake in silencing protest or by partisan political groups with a direct connection to industry stakeholders. For example, nine bills seek to increase penalties for protesting on the grounds of oil pipelines, and in many cases the legislators sponsoring the bills have received contributions from the oil and gas industry.

Floridas legislature is considering legislation, promoted by Governor Ron DeSantis, created in reaction to the racial justice protests of last summer. The bill expands criminal punishments for any involvement in protests during which violence occurs. Opponents of the bill argue that peaceful protesters could be arrested and imprisoned for up to five years and lose their voting rights, even if they didnt engage in any violent and disorderly conduct. Additionally, it could increase violence at protests and embolden vigilantes by shielding them from civil liability if they kill or injure protesters, protect confederate monuments, and allow the Governor to overrule local budgetary decisions.

Thirty-four of the bills include provisions that attempt to criminalize protest by expanding the application of anti-riot laws. Some seek to expand the definition of rioting or unlawful assembly in ways that could include lawful protest. Fourteen of the bills would effectively criminalize actions that encourage or aid protest by classifying them as incitement to riot or similar crimes. Thirty bills criminalize protesting in a manner which blocks traffic. Fourteen bills go so far as to provide either civil or criminal immunity for drivers who injure protestors who are blocking traffic or to individuals who use force to resist rioters. Finally, several of the bills encourage local officials to use force to silence protest by, for example, providing that local officials can be sued by anyone whose property is damaged during a protest if the official delays or limits police crackdowns on ongoing protests.

Although many of the bills have thus far failed to advance, twelve have passed at least one house of the legislature, and another twenty have either passed one committee or have been introduced only within the several weeks.

NCAC is paying close attention to the progress of these bills and all those who believe that the right to protest is fundamental to American democracy should be deeply concerned about these attempts to suppress political dissent.

Here is the original post:
States Consider Bills That Threaten Protest Rights - Blogging Censorship

Those awaiting the most eagerly awaited film of the year will, it seems, have to await just a bit longer. John Patrick Shanleys Wild Mountain Thyme will not be available to rent in the Republic of Ireland on April 30th. The distributors have clarified that the twinkly romance, subject of much pre-emptive derision following the dropping of a trailer last November, will be coming to cinemas in the Republic of Ireland this summer.

Viewers in the UK will still be able to view the film digitally from the end of the month. The good burghers of Newry and Coleraine can enjoy Jamie Dornan romancing Emily Blunt in the privacy of their rose-covered shacks. Those in Navan and Cork must wait for the opening of cinemas.

It is most unusual for a release to be made available for digital rental in the UK but not in the Republic of Ireland. Most readers took UK to refer to the combined UK and Irish market as with the United States and Canada, distributors sometimes treat the territories as one and looked forward to an evening of ironic paddywhackery over the bank-holiday weekend.

Conspiracies already abound. Such was the aghast hilarity sometimes bleeding into naked anger at the stage-Irishness of the trailer that, when the film opened in the US, before Christmas, many American reviews referred to the response in Ireland. David Rooneys comments in the Hollywood Reporter were typical: Derisive reaction to the films trailer in the Emerald Isle suggests its less likely to be remembered alongside The Quiet Man than Far and Away, the 1992 Hollywoodized Oirish epic with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

Shanley was dismissive of the blowback. I told Emily when we first talked about this project, Im not making this movie for the Irish. If you try to get the Irish to love you, no good will come of it, he told Variety.

With this in mind, more than a few on social media have suggested that Lionsgate, the films distributor, is trying to hide it from domestic audiences. This seems unlikely. The chatter around the picture would, most likely, only have increased rental demand for a film that received largely negative reviews on its American debut. It looks as if there is a real desire to get the film into cinemas.

Nor is Brexit to blame. The distributor still retains rights to the picture on both sides of the Irish Sea. But this remains a notable anomaly. Memories revive of the bad old days when censored films everything from Brief Encounter to Monty Pythons Life of Brian played merrily in the UK while Irish audiences seethed. Not that Brief Encounter has much else in common with Wild Mountain Thyme.

Original post:
Its as if censorship were back: Why Ireland cant watch Wild Mountain Thyme this month - The Irish Times

Screengrab via Fox NewsGov.Ron DeSantisreconnected with a national audience Wednesday, joining Fox and Friends to message against the content curation policies of Google and YouTube again.

The Governor said the tech platforms were anti-science and functioned as a council of censors when they opted to pull down a video of a controversial coronavirus roundtable DeSantis held with doctors earlier this year.

Last week, YouTuberemoved a videoof DeSantisroundtable, which included Drs.Scott Atlas,Jay BhattacharyaandMartin Kulldorff. At issue: medical guidance regarding children and the necessity of masks.

DeSantis, whobrought the doctors backto Tallahassee virtually this week to bemoan the censorship, reprised his objections at length Wednesday.

When you have the ability to debate people and you can marshal facts against certain viewpoints, you do that. When you dont have that, thats when you try to fall back on censorship, DeSantis said.

These are doctors and scientists who have been against the narrative really for the past year, and you know, theyve been right against lockdowns, theyve been right about kids needing to be in school. Obviously, Florida followed a lot of their advice and weve had much more success.

And so if what theyre saying isnt true on science, then show the science that contradicts it, the Governor continued. But Google and YouTube couldnt do that. What Google and YouTube (are) trying to do is serve as a council of censors, where theyre enforcers of the narrative. The narrative is lockdown. The narrative is mask a two year old kid. The narrative is all these different things we kept hearing, and when people counteract that, their instinct is to pull it down.

Very troubling, DeSantis added. Thats not what science is about. Science is always about asking questions, raising concerns, and Google and YouTube are not dedicated to the scientific method.

The Governor said the tech platforms stifled really strong critiques of lockdowns early in the pandemic, censored across all these tech platforms.

They suffocated it at the outset, DeSantis asserted.

The Governor held to that metaphor, adding a bit later that its really hard to just smother those facts and take it down, but thats what theyre doing.

In astatement last week, YouTube spokeswomanElenaHernandezsaid YouTube pulled the video because it included content that contradicts the consensus of local and global health authorities regarding the efficacy of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Support local journalism in these crazy days. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you up to the minute news on how Coronavirus is affecting Tampa and surrounding areas. Please considermaking a one time or monthly donationto help support our staff. Every little bit helps.

Subscribeto our newsletter and follow@cl_tampabayon Twitter.

View original post here:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says YouTube, Google are a 'council of censors' - Creative Loafing Tampa

In a recent and heavily criticized incident, Iranian state-owned TV censored an important live soccer game more than 100 times because of the mere presence of a female referee.

The incident took place on Sunday during a game between Premier League giants Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs. In the game, there was a female referee in a regular soccer referee uniform consisting of a jersey and shorts.

Rather than being allowed to enjoy the game, Iranian viewers had to tolerate the game getting cut more than 100 times because the TV station could not show the referees legs.

Shocking though it seems, Islamic Republic leaders do not allow a woman with her hair uncovered and her bare knees to be shown on the state-owned TV, wrote the Iranian NGO My Stealthy Freedom, an organization dedicated to empowering Iranian women.

Many, including Iranians, are calling out Iran for gender discrimination. According to Newsweek, one of the game commentators even allegedly said he hoped the viewers enjoyed the geographic show.

Our team works tirelessly to ensure Lebanese people have a reliable alternative to the politically-backed media outlets with their heavily-funded and dangerous propaganda machines. We've been detained, faced nonstop cyber attacks, censorship, attempted kidnapping, physical intimidation, and frivolous lawsuits draining our resources. Financial support from our readers keeps us fighting on your behalf. If you are financially able, please consider supporting The961's work. Support The961. Make a contribution now.

Link:
Iran Censors Soccer Game More Than 100 Times Because Of Female Referee - The961

After the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty by an Islamist, teachers in France are very shocked. A survey shows that half of French teachers practice self-censorship in matters of religion. This is reported by the Belgian VRT.

After Samuel Patys death, more and more French people seem to feel a certain pressure to pay attention to what they say. It makes sense, too, because no one wants to be the next beheaded for a wayward Muhammad cartoon. A recent survey shows that no less than 50% of French teachers are of this opinion.

The French principle secularism, the division between Church and State, is partly because of this under enormous pressure. Tolerance towards people with different worldviews and being able to believe what you want in private, without forcing it on others, is no longer taken for granted by everyone in France.

From the VRT report it appears that even if teachers find that they do not even understand the concept correctly explained anymore. It is understood by the students as a prohibition of the faith. Where the French say, You only wear symbols of faith outside of your school, French Muslims experience this as an outright reduction of their religious beliefs.

a

This puts things in place in the French school system. Teaching about gender equality in companies is already avoided by a teacher. Another was previously told that his Muslim students would not play that day because of Ramadan. The potential for classroom conflict is already present when it comes to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Islamic minority in France seems to be more and more able (and willing) to impose its will, while the French majority has not yet been able to give a correct answer. And with French President Macron busy tackling the more radical elements, it looks like the tension will only increase in the years to come. In any case, we are a team of freedom of expression!

a

Infuriatingly humble social media ninja. Devoted travel junkie. Student. Avid internet lover.

Read the original:
Allahu Akbar! Half of French teachers censor their own comments on Islam after Samuel Paty's murder - From Daily Standaard - DodoFinance