In 2005, after being misquoted by the Daily Telegraph during a public lecture in England, I was banned for life from the entire UK for the crime of defending animal rights in public lectures and rallies (see here and my response here).
Oxford University Anti-Vivisection Demo, 2003
As a university professor, writer, speaker, and activist, I have no criminal record beyond various civil disobedience actions in support of animal rights. 6 years and 3 governments later, I defied the ban and told the British Home office I would be flying into London via Gdansk, Poland in order to speak in London and Manchester. Upon trying to board my flight to London in September 2011, Polish security agents told me the Home Office prohibited my departure. I spoke to audiences via Skype, but could not physically enter the UK.
Once a society begins banning philosophers, one has to wonder how perilous is the slippery slope toward a police state, and recent state repression and surveillance in the UK, as well as in the US, demonstrates a rapid and dangerous erosion of civil liberties and privacy. By reinforcing their lifetime ban against me, the UK demonstrated they have chosen to be a police state rather than a democracy.
I am deeply indebted to UK activist, Darren Sunderland, for grasping the larger implications of this ban against me. and taking the initiative to create and maintain the following support sites:
Please sign the petition on Causes.com and join the Facebook page if you would like to support free speech rights and ending the UK lifelong ban against me. Thank you, and thank you Darren.
Governments globally aim at securing a big brother society using all means at their disposal.
Prominent academics, philosophers – indeed anyone unafraid to articulately expose the intention to enforce a police state on a (largely) unsuspecting public – will of course be classified as enemies of said State. Conversely, the ‘State’ is fast becoming the enemy of the people!
Acts of suppression, the undermining of liberty and the dissipation of personal freedom will gain us, as individuals, nothing. It will however, bring about state control, tyranny, and a police state which will be conducive to widespread paranoia.
All citizens, whether suspected of a crime or not, will be subject to surveillance. Free speech will be a thing of the past – people will be too intimidated. Collectivism as opposed to individualism – a slippery slope indeed!
Most definitely BRING BACK BEST!!
We need you back Steve!
Hey brother,
We want to see you in the UK, in Spain and all over this motherfucking world, speaking the truth.
BRINGBACKBEST
All our support Steve.
Cheers from Mallorca!
So frustrating to be a victim of totally repression, esp. if that’s your point. This is a strange world gone a-rye.
Signed and Shared! xx
There are rare times when being an “armchair activist” feels good. This is one of them though… I totally support any effort to restore the freedom to spread ideas to where ever they can be heard.
Signed…..YES! ! !
Reblogged this on Adam from Norway and commented:
Go, Steve. GO!
Thanks my friend ;)
Signed and shared!