In this video discussion, Tom Slater takes spiked’s Free Speech on campus campaign to London’s East End and the home of WORLDbytes. The If’s and But’s emerge as volunteers on the sofa raise fashionable qualms from ‘hate speech’ and ‘psychological harm’ to ‘safe space policies’, ‘trigger warnings’, UKIP and dodgy tweets. Slater takes it on the chin and compellingly argues the case for unfettered free speech and a campaign that goes hand in hand with revitalising a positive view of humanity, one that is resilient, takes risks and aspires to a better world. From the sofa WORLDbytes volunteer Eden Bokrezion tells it straight, “I am African and a UKIP member saying Africans should kill themselves doesn’t bring me to my knees” she says “….if I have to choose between ‘respect’ with government telling me what I can and can’t hear and free speech, I choose free speech.”
