Right-wing veteran shamefully banned from coaching children’s football | UK | News

A former Royal Marine has been banned from working with children after protesting against illegal immigrants, The Telegraph reports. The shocking decision sparked outrage among free speech campaigners, who claimed bogus safeguarding concerns were increasingly being used to “silence” individuals with “patriotic views” through a “scandalous abuse of the system”.

A campaign group has uncovered more than a dozen examples where laws designed to protect children from harm are being used to suppress Right-wing views. The worrying trend has intensified concerns about the treatment of Iraq war veteran Jamie Michael, who was banned from coaching his daughter’s football team.

Mr Michael’s plight also risks increasing tensions between London and Washington; because the Trump administration has repeatedly warned that freedom of expression has been eroded during Sir Keir Starmer’s term as prime minister.

Gazi accused of inciting racial hatred after describing immigrants as ‘scum’ and ‘psychopaths’

The 47-year-old man, from Penygraig, south Wales, faces charges of inciting racial hatred after referring to some immigrants as “scum” and “psychopaths” in a 12-minute Facebook video. The video was released following the murder of three children in Southport, which sparked riots across the country.

The jury cleared the veteran in just 17 minutes, but the safety board ruled he was unfit to work with children

Although he was acquitted by a jury after just 17 minutes, Mr Michael’s local safeguarding board, responsible for protecting vulnerable children, ruled he was “unfit” to work with young people.

Less than two weeks after his acquittal, the father-of-two was informed that the “child protection concerns” raised against him had been “proven”.

As a result, the Football Association of Wales banned Mr Michael from coaching his daughter’s team, following a private meeting with the local authority’s security guard and South Wales Police.

Mr Michael, who sued the authorities for £25,000 for violating his human rights, said: “This makes no sense.

“It seems to me that they want to punish me because of my opinions and because my views do not agree with theirs.”

Free speech campaigners strongly condemned the use of safeguarding concerns to “silence” individuals with “patriotic views”, calling it a “scandalous abuse of the system”.

The growing trend has set off alarm bells among those who defend the right to freely express one’s views without fear of retaliation or punishment.