The ever excellent Schnews report on efforts to shut down showings of a film on the arms trade.
Government here is for and by arms dealers, just look at the bill for Trident tax payers are picking up and the drive to war in Iraq and the BAE/Saudi affair.
LIKE A VERGO ON?
It seems that even students are in the firing line when in comes to
censorship in UK plc. In an unprecedented lack of concern for freedom of
expression and academic inquiry, Southampton University has
collaborated with Hampshire constabulary in banning On the Verge, the Smash
EDO campaign film from being shown on campus. The film was due to be
screened on May 2nd, hosted by student group Green Action. But they
were forced to cancel after pressure from staff members in the student
union, one of whom told them:
"Please be assured that my involvement has been instigated by external
authorities and, while my primary role is to look after and safeguard
the interests of the Students' Union, I am also concerned that you,
your colleagues and your society do not fall foul of legislation."
The students did not feel able to face down this pressure, telling
SchNEWS: "We are very disappointed to have had to cancel our showing of
'On The Verge' .....in the circumstances, we feel that we have no
other option but hope to put on an alternative showing in the near
future."
This of course is just the latest episode in the story of the fi lm
they are trying to ban as On the Verge has faced harassment and
censorship since its ill-fated premiere (see SchNEWS 625).
However, we are not encouraging anyone to contact George Clegg (Tel:
023 8059 5215 grc@soton.ac.uk), the staff member so keen to suppress
freedom of academic thought to ask him what action he will be taking
against all the other unlicensed fi lms that are undoubtedly regularly
shown on the campus, or why he ignored the clause of the licensing
act that states that any fi lm is exempt from certifi cation if its
purpose is for information, education or instruction.
Smash EDO UK Tour Upcoming Dates
5th - Cambridge, The Locomotive, Mill Rd, 7.30pm
7th - Hastings, The Rooms, Western Rd, 8pm
8th - Birmingham, The Rainbow Pub, Digbeth, 7.30pm
** For more see www.schnews.org.uk/on-the-verge see www.seashepherd.org
* After a torrent of interest: search for 'On the Verge' on yer
favourite bit torrent engine from next week...
1 comment:
Censorship the damned if you and damned if you don't topic for all governments. Everyone has to admit that at some point censorship is necessary and that somethings need to be kept secret. Somethings just need to be kept from the public and especially out of politics where the truth is malleable and spin the watchword of all players.
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