NO MARTYRDOM

Southland Times, Issue 25309, 12 June 1935, Page 6

NO MARTYRDOM

There is extant an excellent story of a London policeman listening to an extremely violent Communist orator urging a small crowd to blow-up Buckingham Palace. He waited until the speaker had reached a particularly ardent invitation to his hearers, and then intervening the guardian of the Law those who were in favour of “going with the gentleman to carry out his plan” to hold up the right hand, and those who were opposed to it to raise the left hand. After counting the votes, he declared the motion lost, and the subsequent proceedings fell rather flat. When an American expressed astonishment at the policeman’s action, a Londoner remarked: “What else could he do?” In that story the attitude of the Englishman to free speech is illustrated; but though the authorities in this country do not appear to be blessed by so keen a sense of humour, the refusal to allow Mr Griffin to speak from the Band Rotunda on Sunday night must not be taken as infringement of the people’s right to speak freely on public questions. Mr Griffin’s audiences may Be pleased that *the City Council’s refusal to grant him the use of the Band Rotunda relieved them of the necessity of standing in a biting wind to give expression of their interest in what he has to say. If the conditions of last Sunday night were repeated, Mr Griffin himself would be thankful that an excellent excuse to escape the task of talking to a cold audience had been provided. The point is that much as we believe in the need for protecting the right of,

free speech, we do not see any infringement of that right here. Freedom of speech does not mean that people have the right to speak anywhere and at any time, and while halls are available for Mr Griffin’s meetings there need be no suggestion that principle has been violated by the City Council’s refusal to place the Band Rotunda at his disposal. The council has not made a martyr of him: it has probably avoided the martyrdom of an audience.