Bendigo Writers Festival saga latest example of silencing dissent

Although the current corporate silence wave is against Israel’s criticism of Israel in a McCarthyist campaign led by Netanyahu, we will remind you to think that it is just one stage. We forgot the attempts of ABC’s journalists to control the use of personal social media before 7 October, because do they upset the weak leaves in the coalition government?

From this collapse to the latest persecution of Australia against creative freedom: Bendigo Writers Festival is trying to impose a “rules of behavior ında about a definition of anti -Semitism on speakers. His own, right there with the best of all time: Creative Australia, Sydney Theater Company, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Now it’s a long list.

The evil here is what is called “rules of behavior): a semi -legal invention that has been increasing throughout the institutional landscape for years and reaching the plague rates. The authors did not have rules of behavior and do not need someone for a good reason.

In the case of an illegal termination against ABC, Antoinette nailed it in the case of an illegal termination against ABC. Output Did not violate. But there wasn’t the point there was a gap, but it didn’t do anything wrong in the first place. If the ABC code actually caught it, it would be the irregular code.

Concert Pianist Jayson Gillham Currently suing Melbourne Symphony Orchestra During a recital, he canceled his show after he declared a statement about the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during a recital (finally 180). Connor d’To’s composer introduced him to a piece that devoted him to these journalists. Some of MSO’s defense was dependent on the rules of behavior that allows Gillham to control what he could say and did not want him to say it.

Earlier this year, Creative Australia canceled the Venice Biennial contract under the rules of behavior of the pro -Palestin artist Khaled Sabsabi under the rules of behavior, then both decisions were insufficient before the public reaction was restored. Similarly, in December 2023, Sydney Theater Company called on the policy of not scare its subscribers when he silenced two of his own actors because he dare to wear keffiyeh during a curtain call performance. You might think it’s a cute historical monument now, but just a week ago, a Sydney restaurant, Jimmy’s Fefel, Rejected diners Introduction for the same crime.

Nowadays, all universities, such as major employers and every government organs, have rules of behavior, not only one. They regulate everything from the use of social media to how employees should talk to each other in the cafeteria. Having a policy against bullying and harassment is also strict and unacceptable, but once it extends to fundamental freedoms such as speaking, assembly and association – academic freedom – problems are very high.

In the last two years, as a lawyer representing dozens of individual individual targets of pro -Israeli lobby, I have repeatedly encountered a similar model of behavior. When a target has been set by pro -Israel lobbyists and the demands or threats begin to fly into the incoming boxes of their employers, sponsors and customers.

Universities have become particularly resourceful in this game. However, instead of thinking that a personnel cannot fulfill their duties, they instinctively return to the rules of behavior and poppy participation, psychosocial security, courtesy and striking words – inconsistent with the institution’s stance. If it is displayed correctly, almost everything can fail to test.

Universities and other leading institutions ignore their responsibilities towards their staff, as well as natural and toxic silence flowing from such a reductive and stupid approach: protecting them from disturbing and calculated attacks. ABC has become legendary with the desire to throw people under the nearest bus, but far from being alone. Every series of complaints do not contain context, just to do the work of the authors for them.

The preventive movement of the Bendigo Writers Festival is the next logical step in this progress of cowardice.

Dr. Instead of waiting for Randa Abdel-Fattah or another writer to say something to decorate the page first page Australia The next day, he chose the entire show that authors promised not to address the definition of anti -Semitism and to avoid the language or issues that can be considered as inflammatory, separatist or disrespectful ”. The festival, the festival, leaned against the policies of La Trobe University as an excuse.

If this is forgotten, this is a Writers Festival. Do you remember when director Louise Adler’s great sponsors of the Adelaide Festival with a few Palestinian writer platforms? (By the way, by the way, eight months ago October 7.) Bendio certainly did not want to carry out this risk.

It is not yet clear whether the Bendigo Writers Festival is triggered by an academic alliance (5A) against Australia anti -Semitism, a pro -Israeli group whose mission is to cancel its enemies. Letter, It appeared today Deepcut NewsAbdel-Fattah asked not to be allowed to label as a pro-extremist anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic activist ”and“ known racist ”. 5A’s commitment to academic diligence and intellectual freedom, apparently there is a partnership with the objectives of war.

Of course, it just encourages tyrants to come to the forefront-a problem with any of the US universities. Donald entered Trump.

The current reason is that it is an absolute self-existence that the diversity of human thought and expression is to give up before it is to give up before the public interest-the existence of its own social license, since it cannot lift the heat only.

The Bendigo Writers Festival still lost, because more than one third of his authors were retreated. He can never heal and that’s what he really deserves.

The United States assumes that the first change of the Supreme Court is famous for the right results that the right results are more likely to gather from more languages than any authorized election, ”he said. We do not have the same law, but our democracy depends on the same principle.

Waiver: Jayson Gillham, Randa Abdel-Fattah and Khaled Sabsabi He represents Gillham in his case against the author’s customers and the author company MSO.