Tuesday, May 28, 2019
#FREESPEECH IN THE NEWS: MAY 28, 2019
As the Citadel of Free Speech here in Cleveland, we work to protect and promote the basis of our democracy by sharing related stories, commentary, and opinions on free speech in the 21st century. Here's what's making the news – and what you should know about – in the past week.
1.) Julian Assange's legal team prepares for a lengthy free speech battle
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange is unlikely to land on American soil any time soon as his legal team gears up for a drawn-out battle that centers on his freedom of speech.
The United States is seeking the extradition of Assange from Britain to face numerous charges for computer hacking and publishing classified material. The initial charge accused Assange of conspiringwith former Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning to crack a Department of Defense password, while another 17 charges under the Espionage Act were tacked on by the Department of Justice on Thursday.
Assange's lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, told NBC News she's preparing for "a big extradition fight" and argued, along with advocates in the U.S., that the latest indictment threatens the First Amendment.
2.) Exhibit highlights cartoonists’ focus on First Amendment
The First Amendment right to free speech is on full display at a new exhibit at the world’s largest cartoon library.
The political cartooning display runs the gamut from a 1774 etching by Paul Revere criticizing Britain’s use of tea as a political weapon to a 2018 cartoon lampooning the blocking of online conservative commentary. Other cartoons take on political correctness, flag desecration, fake news, campus conduct codes, and the role of Twitter in public discourse.
The exhibit combines drawings contributed by several dozen cartoonists with material from the library’s own collection. Many are from newspapers, but offerings include cartoons from The New Yorker magazine and even ones that first appeared online, on websites such as Politico.
3.) San Francisco Police Chief Admits Mistakes In Raid On Freelance Journalist’s Home
SFPD Chief William Scott on Friday apologized for a raid on a freelance journalist’s home which sparked national criticism. The raid at the home and office of stringer journalist Bryan Carmody on May 10 was prompted by a leaked police report which detailed the death of late San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi.
The information was reportedly sold to local news outlets hours after Adachi died on Feb. 22 from a heart attack. Scott said the search warrant came after city leaders demanded that the leak be investigated during a Board of Supervisors’ hearing last month.
Chief Scott first made his apology during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. The chief also released a statement that said he had conducted a thorough review of the Adachi report criminal investigation over the past two days, exploring leak of the Jeff Adachi police report and the subsequent raid.
