18C
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PRESS RELEASE: OHPI’s S 18C Submission
In a submission to the Australian Government’s consultation on proposed changes to Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act the Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI) has warned of serious and unforseen consequences if the proposed changes go ahead.Public sentiment is also against any changes to the Act with community groups of all types united against the proposed changes…
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OHPI Submission on Racial Discrimination and S 18C
Earlier today the Online Hate Prevention Institute sent in a submission (also visible below) to the consultation by Australia’s Attorney-General on his proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). Our submission focused on the issue of cyber-racism and the role S 18C plays in tackling this problem. Executive Summary The Online Hate Prevention…
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Social Media Users more open to racism with law changes
April 7, 2014: Warren Barnsley, Social Media Users more open to racism with law changes, National Indigenous Radio Service The Online Hate Prevention Institute is concerned proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act could open the floodgates for racial abuse on social media. The Federal Government wants to repeal an aspect of the Act that…
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Normalising Holocaust Denial, Aboriginal Memes and more
The Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI), the national harm prevention charity dedicated to online hate issues, today warned that proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act will have the effect of normalising Holocaust denial, racist Aboriginal memes and more in social media. The charity’s CEO, Dr Andre Oboler, today highlighted the important role of the…
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Reporting Proud Holocaust Deniers
Summary The Facebook page Proud to be a Holocaust Denier (page id: 1420505938199432) was created on March 24th 2014. It currently has 262 supporters. The page propagates antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Some of the page’s content could be described as deliberately misleading, while other content could be described as deliberately offensive. The content, however, goes…
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Racial discrimination: they just don’t get it
The underlying problem the Government is facing over changes to the Racial Discrimination Act is that it still doesn’t understand the point the Judge was making in the Bolt case. It still doesn’t understand what Bolt did wrong. They don’t understand the danger to the social cohesion of Australia that comes from actions like Bolt’s.…
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Potential Fight Over Federal Racial Discrimination Act s 18C: Unbolting “Bolt”
February 25, 2014, www.timebase.com.au, http://www.timebase.com.au/news/2014/AT097-article.html Recent press has reported that Federal Attorney-General George Brandis (the Attorney) has said that the Federal criminal laws banning racial violence “have been too narrowly drawn” in that they should in fact also prohibit the “incitement to racial hatred”. This appears to be a deviation from the Attorney’s (and his government’s) previously…
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Statement: OHPI raises concerns over ideas to alter AHRC
STATEMENT: In an article in today’s Australian (‘Dreyfus slams bid to tweak race law’, 7 Feb 2014, page 27) Senator Brandis is said to have indicated he is considering amending the law governing the Australian Human Rights Commission. Changes being considered would remove the requirement for human rights commissioners to act collegially. Senator Brandis claim this…
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Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech in Australia
December 18, 2013: Andre Oboler, Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech in Australia, Jerusalem Post, http://www.jpost.com/Blogs/Internet-Engagement/Freedom-of-Speech-and-Hate-Speech-in-Australia-364133 Freedom of speech is an important right, but it is not absolute. Like all other rights, it can at times clash with other fundamental rights. The balance struck between conflicting rights forms part of the fundamental nature of a society.…
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Statement from Victorian community organisations
We have read with growing concern that the Federal government has plans to remove or water down the protections against racial vilification which presently extend to Australians of all backgrounds under the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA). This would be a step backwards for Australia. We oppose absolutely any such change. The proposal to change the…