Could Scotland’s hate crime laws be the beginning of the end for free speech?

Scotland’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Act came into force on Monday - and within 48 hours at least 800 ‘hate crimes’ had been reported to Scottish police. An SNP initiative, the law criminalises ‘stirring up hatred’ relating to certain protected groups - although it doesn’t cover misogyny against women.
Supporters say the law provides protection from hate and prejudice without stifling individual expression, critics - including JK Rowling - are concerned the legislation could harm free speech.
So, what’s in the new law and why has it put Scotland once again at the centre of the culture wars?
Guest: Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor, The Times & Sunday Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Clips: BBC, Sky News, This Morning, JRE, The Daily Mail, ITV News, BBC, TalkTV, BBC, GB News, Police Scotland.
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[@Islas_Canarias]

I just reported Humza Yousef to Scottish police for his hateful "white" rant in parliament in 2020. I'm going to keep reporting him everyday for the foreseeable future until the law is repealed.

[@lawrencecuthbertson8539]

Love it mate ❤

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do that. Being of ( white) Scottish descent, I endorse any complaint re, its offensive and insulting nature

[@Gozzillacia]

Well done -- and every time an SNP politician says something hateful about the English - do so also. Report Sarwar too - he mad an almost identical speech.

[@46FreddieMercury91]

I've just reported him too. I'm English and I'll be sticking up for my fellow Brits

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@Maynards_so_blue]

The only hatred is from humza

[@Skaramoosh5]

This bill is to stop blasphemy against Islam.

[@Alien_O1]

Whats next! 🤔 Ban bacon🥓

[@d.tr6176]

@@Alien_O1 It's a real possibility, you know.

[@d.tr6176]

Why would islam not be blasphemed when all other religions are? Muslims are not that special, and they certainly are not the fragile little things they feign to be.

[@linmorell1813]

This is what happened in schools in Denmark. Pork, an important food there was banned in school meals. This has now been changed due to pressure by the indigenous population.

[@stevec6427]

It would also stop muslims talking about LGBTetc people so they won't be happy

[@justjim3168]

JK Rowling - YES! Hamza Useless - no

[@nonirose3640]

Blasphemy laws do tend to inhibit free speech.

[@michaeld5888]

Remove it altogether more like it. Interesting these faiths where people are not allowed to consider that any another faith could possibly exist. Hardly requires much faith does it but just an instinct for survival going with the flow whatever to avoid the terrible apostasy penalties. We seem to be creeping back to the ethos of the Middle Ages where the Christians ran the same game of religious terror.

[@Jack-bs6zb]

Deport Humza

[@rolandsausage]

Deport him to where?

[@finlaycrawford273]

He was born in Scotland you melt

[@Jack-bs6zb]

@@finlaycrawford273 ... but Scotland, as we're aware, is not his cultural 'homeland' is it, you great haggis?

[@clemdane]

NO. We will NOT allow free speech to be taken away. We are the PEOPLE and will rise up.

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@chesthoIe]

Yep, and it's gonna be the knife fight scene from A West Side Story. "When you're a Brit you're a Brit all the way. from your first cup of tea to curry from Bombay. When you're a Brit they took all our guns, we saw Merica shooting and it gave us the runs, When you're a Brit let them do what they can, when fighting tyrants might as well use your hands,"

[@Knockabollokoff]

It will only be the end of free speak if we let it.

[@d.tr6176]

Or maybe it will mark the end of all those hitlers/stalins that we currently have as heads of state.

[@kingkoi6542]

Well? So far I've only seen the Irish have the 🥜s...

[@juliemaddern]

@@kingkoi6542 Are you Irish?

[@kingkoi6542]

@@juliemaddern Lol maybe a percentage but no... The Irish actually do something rather than talk and sit on their thumbs... Unlike the British...

[@juliemaddern]

@@kingkoi6542 I'm ready to fight but I can't do it on my own but even writing comments online educates many people about what's really happening but I agree we need action

[@jstewart4205]

It's not the end of free speech, but it is certainly the end of the SNP....unfortunately Labour and the Greens also voted in this madness. If you live in England, never vote Labour, you have been prewarned and it's coming to your street too.

[@johngreenhorn8853]

I actually replied to someone today saying I forgot they voted for this bill i was wrong they actually didn't vote for it Labour did in fact vote against it,it was the Lib Dems that voted for it,I checked earlier.

[@dougaltolan3017]

Lol, latest polling put not voting Labour as a wasted vote.

[@elizabethmair2948]

​@johngreenhorn8853 Labour voted for this bill only 3 of them voted against.

[@johngreenhorn8853]

@@elizabethmair2948 I stand corrected,I googled it and it said they did not vote for it,but I got the individual votes and the vast majority did vote for it which was what I actually thought originally until I Goggled it,Labour are as bad as that other lot in that case.

[@louiseetherson1455]

please vote labour as we cannot have the tories again as we will implode.

[@Heater-v1.0.0]

Stalin's Russia thrived on the anonymous reporting of peoples "negative" views by "reasonable people". The whole idea of hate crimes is very dangerous. The idea that police can be sent to investigate what one says and then record that "hate incident" forever even if nothing bad ever happened id outrageous.

[@kingkoi6542]

The biggest complaint behind the iron curtain was the feeling of isolation. You could barely risk speaking to your own brother or sister...

[@Gianfranco_69]

We have already seen 'struggle sessions' in the West .... its like Groundhog Century with Social Media Marxism

[@janpetersen7440]

The very foundation of democracy is free speech. When a government undermines free speech with a so-called 'hate speech' law, democracy itself is of course undermined. What is left - and what designation should be given to an amputated democracy. 🤔

[@jstewart4205]

If you think about it, the only reason the SNP exist is to drum up hatred against the English...it's an own goal.

[@kingkoi6542]

What is left is the Khmer Rouge...

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@user-xv3rq8rd3t]

Yousef hasnt said where this hatred coming from, he wont say . Why's that. Iam sure he knows.

[@merg-vh5sx]

I know where his hatred of women comes from.

[@kingkoi6542]

Maybe from the media, 🇮🇱 sponsors!

[@MyTv-]

The hate crime law will be as effective as prohibition was in the US. You can’t promote polite behaviour by outlawing bad behaviour. Just because it’s looks politically good.

[@georgemiller151]

Why is it bad behavior to say something that is a reasonable opinion to express even if you disagree with it, eg.: trans women are cosmetically women but are still in most regards men: they will never bear children, they will never have to chose to have an abortion, they will never need to take birth control, they will never have to endure menopause, they can outperform genetic women in women’s sports? Why is the country trying to outlaw positions that are not implicitly hateful and are scientifically defensible? Why does the government seem hostile to genetic women and to free speech?

[@MyTv-]

@@georgemiller151 Most of trans people ain’t athletes. Sports ain’t the big question. That should totally be up to each separate spot organisation governing body. But if someone now wants be called miss instead of mister, it’s only polite to oblige.

[@d.tr6176]

@@georgemiller151 "Why does the government seem hostile..." Correction: "Why is the government hostile...".

[@David-kq4jc]

That's like saying having police doesn't decrease crime.

[@Sarcasticron]

You can have dumb opinions that you keep to yourself, and no one cares. But if your speech hurts someone else, then it might be a crime. Laws against speech that causes harm are perfectly normal in a civilised society.

[@IncontinantFilms]

Let's call it what it is. A blasphemy law

[@marian6593]

There are petitions against this. Change and Alba are running the 2 I've found so far.

[@jstewart4205]

The main device against this is called an election. Just remember that Labour and the Greens also voted for this.

[@lawrencecuthbertson8539]

Thanks, was just asking how we start to push back?

[@rogerflack415]

Humza is mistaking the "rising tide of hatred" against him and the SNP as a "rising tide of hatred" generally.

[@bryanbarthlow3961]

The government cannot protect you from hatred.

[@dogkicker100]

true its to protect them from our hatred though

[@lawrencecuthbertson8539]

How do we overturn this ? Everyone I’ve spoke to about this new bill is against or highly against its implementation.

[@briandouglas5098]

Mr White White White White

[@Myfaceuh]

This law is just way for shutting down opposition. If you cant speak plainly then how can you criticise the snp/greens? You cant, without risking court action. The bill protects the snp from people questioning them on what they believe in.

[@allangilchrist5938]

I'm afraid that the general public in Scotland is complacent and docile on this matter. Notice how quiet the woke BBC has been on this fundamental matter of freedom of speech. Surely this isnt because Mr Yusuf is a Muslim?

[@Heater-v1.0.0]

I have an idea. If someone breaks into your car and steals the content, or steals the car, report it as a hate crime. Obviously the perpetrator(s) did not like you very much. If some Stop Oil activists are blocking your way to work or more seriously blocking your ambulance on the way to hospital, then report it as a hate crime, they obviously are directing their actions at you because they don't like you much. Lot's of scope for fun with this.

[@bigjohndavid1]

He looks hollow and sounds it too. A repellent individual on a visceral level.

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

He's no right that's for sure.

[@allangilchrist5938]

Please understand that the calibre of your average MSP is of a very, very low standard.

[@robbryant52]

Unbelievable

[@alanbevis5317]

The short answer is NO, definitely no. The problem is that what most normal, sensible people view as real hate speech, which has to be condemned in a fair-minded, tolerant society, is not what is meant by hate speech to those aberrant members of our society who view any opposition to their often ridiculous and twisted opinions as worthy of vicious, threatening censure.

[@davidcharleston1314]

End of corrupt snp

[@kingkoi6542]

End of 🇮🇱's grasp on the West!

[@richardyates7280]

Great to see the Scottish government being humiliated

[@BarMagnet]

When the educational (social conditioning and thought control ) system is not working, stiffer measures become necessary.

[@Martynjs]

Whenever a law is introduced to give groups special status it breeds resentment and ultimately makes the situation worse.

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@paxo32]

Free speech is a right ,freedom of belief is a bedrock of society,snp lunacy bad laws get ignored ridiculed worldwide .for the Scottish population you need to resist this let's see the majority show the minority just what contempt you view this stifling of free speech

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@linmorell1813]

The act needs to be repealed as soon as possible, it’s madness and dangerous. The Reporting Centres sound a way of encouraging vexatious complaints.

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this new Hate law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@user-qt2ok6gd6s]

People in the UK really have lost the plot...

[@KarrieDreammind5]

Should the people of a country obey a law if they never elected the one imposing the law in the first place?

[@johnpeelfanclub]

There is only one reason and one reason alone for the introduction of this law : the legal legitimization of Blasphemy Law for one, and only one community - we all know which one and we all know that this will make them even more protected from any form of criticism. It is therefore everyone's duty from now onwards to criticize the hatred, misogyny and barbarity of that certain religion's extreme teachings and laws.

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Exactly

[@tom5216]

Humza Useless has just ended the SNP. Vote Alba if you believe in Scottish independence. Until the formation of Police Scotland Chief Constables were answerable to their elected regional local authority. Police Scotland is answerable to the Scottish Government. We are now effectively living in a police state as the police are an arm of the government. The creation of Police Scotland was supposed to be a cost saving exercise but effectively it was a transfer of power from local authorities to Holyrood.

[@eco7221]

Please do an interview with Helen Joyce rather than that you play an anonymised snippet of an interview that more courageous interviewers have done with her. It's time the BBC reckonised the work Helen has done to shine a light on the issue of speech when it comes to the loss of women's rights.

[@thedangler1754]

Where does this leave comedians in Scotland now?

[@Jokerjaxs]

Police need to get real criminals haven’t got time for this .

[@juliemaddern]

Only if you're a gutless wonder and let the unelected do as they please

[@trekkingalbertosaur8870]

1984

[@mrennie5158]

Nicola has started this ball rolling on behalf of one particular person and has ended up ticking off an entire wee nation of people pretty much. Well done 👍

[@paulnickelles207]

George orwell got it

[@chilloutcentral2097]

SNP are finished

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

🙏🙏🙏

[@zelig1799]

Unfortunately not, because the Labour leader is just as bad. He made a similar speech about wHite people

[@kethughes8266]

Two days later the number of hate crimes reported is 3,400.

[@anjamuller-wood2907]

What are "protected characteristics"? Like, some people are more protected than others? Doesn't the one, universal, protected characteristic of being human suffice?

[@dogkicker100]

brought forward by a person who expd it to gain more power for themselves

[@J.R.Y.]

This might be simplistic, but shouldn't we focus on actions over speech?

[@jeremywilson2875]

This seems like the morality Police that they have in many muslim countries. A lot of conversation has been around enforcing trans-ideology and removing women as a protected group. But this is also an end run around the UKs long standing anti-blasphemy laws that say you can't be prosecuted for saying something that someone else considers blasphemous. This has been a complaint of muslims in the UK who feel that any criticism of Islam, drawing an image of Muhammad, etc is a hate-crime against their religion. So now the muslim First Minister has pushed through this law that could be used to criminalize any criticism of Islam.

[@vinyl12blagger]

Next stop, Sharia law

[@Rankbaajin]

Nope, the first old firm game there will be 30 000 hate crimes committed and Barlinnie can't hold that so game over.

[@EcosseOuiser]

I’m glad he’s proud of this nefarious Act. When it’s the cause of his downfall he can own it all. If there is a rise in hate in Scotland, as he suggests, his party has been the catalyst for most of it with their over reach into our lives. Much like Sturgeon with the GRR Bill.

[@AeSyrNation]

"Free speech" is a secondary issue with this law. Its main goal is to control the populace and tighten the screws, so to speak. It could be the beginning of something far more concerning than simply the end of free speech

[@buchanfoulsham6314]

Woooooo drama 😂🤣

[@dougaltolan3017]

​@@buchanfoulsham6314👍

[@flake452]

We haven't had free speech for years.

[@prideofdurham4776]

1998 Bill of Rights.Article 10. Freedom of Expression.Look it up.

[@merg-vh5sx]

"this will not be abused"

[@ianmacewan9416]

Islam is rampant with mysogeny. So this first minister and the leader of labours Nigel branch office in Scotland are NOT going to be doing anything about that in Scotland. It would be "haram" and against the tenets of their book.

[@just_another32]

more like the middle of the end for the snp.

[@dougaltolan3017]

How soon you forget the tory anti protest law.

[@Gianfranco_69]

I challenge anyone to watch Humzas' face as he talks and not feel a creeping fear and growing revulsion ....

[@WO2Royalengineersretired]

Just the beginning of the total control over us ? There going to tell us how to wipe our arses next?

[@karldunne5595]

Think about this Scotland - you going to have the Police - living in your head RENT FREE😲

[@RayBaird-sy2ok]

It tells us that modern Scotland is a modern muddle

[@marciawade8813]

Why would women be omitted from it's protection if it's passage was so needed?

[@jimmymcgoo8641]

This is all about religion.

[@adammarshall6257]

Didn't the Conservatives already ban protesting?

[@dougaltolan3017]

I said the same thing.

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

Yes of course they did. Those pro-Hamas marches you see every Saturday in London are just figments of your imagination.

[@ianmacewan9416]

Has any other Scot thought about reporting the English PM Boris Johnson for his poem published in the Spectator 2004. Calling for the “extermination”/ GENOCIDE of the Scottish people?

[@mrennie5158]

Are they going to remove the names of the targets of spurious claims from their “non crime” list ? They said that the First minister wasn’t going to be added to the list after the hundreds of complaints to the Police about his White White White speech were declared spurious.

[@milgeekmedia]

Project Fear strikes again.

[@greatscott369]

These reports were getting less frequent in scotland. The opposite of a rising tide. However this law is stirring it up

[@jon9625]

Just issue a governmemt approved database of acceptable speech and defenitions

[@jodu626]

first piece of sharia law now in place. Good fun this eh?

[@barryscott1756]

Imagine spending all your life with not committing a crime never been arrested always been a functional member of socialty then you post something online someone fineds is offensive then you get arrested charged for a hate crime and a criminal record 🤣

[@jstewart4205]

They can do it without charging you. No crime, no court case, no conviction, no sentence....but you still get added to the register without even knowing it.

[@JDesq]

I think its more likely the beginning of the end for the SNP

[@AndyJarman]

This is not just about the loopholes, its also about the principle of ooliticians asserting what is good or even what is real (gender). These are religious issues.

[@R_McGeddon117]

Yousless's Gestapo cannot arrest me I've self identified as a diplomat and have diplomatic immunity

[@jonathandevereaux298]

Yousef, very Scottish name 😂

[@TrashQueenRoyale]

The paradox of tolerance states that if a society's practice of tolerance is inclusive of the intolerant, intolerance will ultimately dominate, eliminating the tolerant and the practice of tolerance with them.

[@davidhynes9683]

coming to a country near you soon--look out.

[@ianbhoy1888]

Ally McCoist has openly boasted he will break the law at the game against Celtic this weekend. Remember this is a Hate law he is going to break. I hope Police Scotland are ready to take the appropriate action in and around Ibrox on Sunday. Will be very interesting.

[@BeatModeProductions]

Trudeau has set this in motion in Canada. Don't think he'll get his way as Scotland's allowed but, who knows.

[@elonthun8012]

Exactly what it’s designed for and soon it will England using this

[@jstewart4205]

Labour voted for it.

[@elonthun8012]

@@jstewart4205 of course but makes no difference there all globalist wef puppets now from either side make no difference at all

[@AgeofEmpiresPriest]

How did Scotland vote this guy in????

[@denisekeogh4971]

can someone tell the narrator this is not about freedom of speech, its about shutting down people complaining about the likes of Useless

[@billycairns5365]

No way will a second GENERATION IMIGRANT dictate to me what i can say in my own country or home i am a sevent seven year old WHITEMan and proud

[@davidyersz8668]

It could be the beginning of the fkin end for the SNP

[@jon9625]

If only

[@marian6593]

Certainly hope so

[@roslewis9923]

Mr Youssef does not know, value or respect the History of the Scottish people, it is evident in his behaviour, speech and now his legislation! I believe his parents were immigrants to Scotland, it irks me to my core as I am proud of my Scottish ancestry and roots.

[@Dolphination]

In case you are wondering, the 'friendly and inclusive' official SNP KZbin channel has 'owner disabled dislike button' and also disabled the ability to comment! Free speech?

[@vladthemeany]

give it a week, people will forget it and the Hate Law will win :)

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Not when people start being jailed for 7 years they won’t.

[@lanasorter9388]

So if someone offends christianity in scotland you can charge him right?

[@calistafalcontail]

Technically yes, so if he and his kind go on an anti christian rant, report the sucker. Let him taste his own medicine.

[@W_Bin]

No, it will be the beginning of free speech. Speech about issues instead of abuse.

[@SkageXL5]

People don't want free speech, they want consequence-free speech. They are not the same thing

[@tcphoto]

There is a big difference between free speech and hate speech, there is a line and that is the line that needs to be defended.

[@jesperlykkeberg7438]

The proposition "identity doesn´t exist!" is now a criminal offence according to the Scottish law, which evidently introduces "identity" as a protected dogma that can no longer be questioned, since doing so would constitute a "hatecrime" against people whose "identity" is defined and protected by the law.

[@Quotheraving]

Who draws the line? Surely that's the real issue here! When no solid definition or examples of hate speech are given that line could be drawn anywhere. Laws are meant to be objective and clear, not subjective and vague!

[@wottevva]

In a word, YES.

[@dogglebird4430]

We should have completely free speech so people can express whatever views they like. There should be no such thing as "hate speech".

[@susettemclachlan8765]

Do not be deceived, this law pushed through by Humza Yousef, is primarily about silencing all criticism of and opposition to Islam

[@BowserLucaTheThird]

I read an interesting report on how people express their sexual desires and extreme fantasies through political discord. If we can't stop thinking about something like a sexual act we turn it into a thing of how this is because we are so against it, and we create narratives to protect ourselves from our true desires. It was a lot deeper saying homophobia comes from gay desires, it was more to do with people creating defensive narratives to display to the world with grandiosity inorder to bury parts of themselves. I've no doubt we all do that, create this masks and push them in our social media content, and the more flimsy the mask often the more we push it. Don't necessarily have any examples....

[@robertmckittrick2631]

Hes a wanl jail me

[@hantieprins3891]

How did he manage to become Prime minister in Scotland. Vote in a white Scotsman who will take care of Scottish heritage and Scotland.

[@bushwhackeddos.2703]

Can anyone be Scottish then?

[@cupguin]

Why is it that free speech warriors only seem to care about their own speech and using that speech to insult people? Is it just you need to be so rich and bored that this, being asked not to insult people, is the biggest imposition in your day that you end up to taking this up as a cause? And by this I mean exclusively their own free speech and never the free speech of anyone else. Like say the free speech of their detractors.

[@livingtribunal4110]

_´not to insult people´_ Idiot. 😂

[@Regin314]

Because anything thing of opinion can be considered an insult.. for instance "There are only 2 genders" tell me there are no one consider that as an insult

[@cupguin]

@@Regin314 So I wondered why free speech warriors only care about their own ability to insult people rather than y'know free speech. Your cunning rebuttal is you also need to defend people's ability to say things that can be considered an insult. Not really sure what your point is there other than you think that somehow we need to defend Joanne's ability to insult people and make their lives worse.

[@Regin314]

@@cupguin Like your not making people's life worse by removing their right to express an opinion even though it doesn't align with your way of thinking