The Free Speech Union@SpeechUnion
We have taken up the case of @ezralevant, a Gold member of the @SpeechUnion who has been refused entry to the UK to attend the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally tomorrow. After his ESTA was refused, he paid £1,000 to the Home Office to expedite a visa application because his flight is tonight. To date, the Home Office still hasn't responded. We hope our intervention will prompt it to issue a visa in time for him to catch his flight.
Refusing Mr Levant a visa would be a clear breach of his rights. He's not a “far right agitator intent on coming to the UK to spew [his] extremist views”, which is how Sir Keir Starmer's described those who've been blocked from entering the UK for tomorrow’s protest. He is a Canadian commentator and journalist who has no criminal convictions and has never advocated violence, intimidation, discrimination or terrorism and rejects any assertion that he is ‘far-right’ or would make threats or spread hate. In reality, he simply holds views that the Prime Minister disagrees with. Perhaps it’s his outspoken support for Israel in its ongoing war with Hamas that has raised a red flag.
Refusing Mr Levant a visa would be particularly egregious, given that Hasan Piker, the far left American political activist who has incited violence against Jews, has not been blocked from entering the UK. He's due to speak at at @unherd event on 5th June.
Is it one rule for outspoken supporters of Israel, Prime Minister, and another for outspoken supporters of the Palestinian cause? Is that because you care more about not offending Britain's Muslims than you do about not offending British Jews?
We very much hope that the Home Office will issue Mr Levant with a visa immediately and allow him to travel to the UK this evening.
