In the balance – The on-going debate on anti-Semitism in the UK Labour Party raises wider issues of censorship and free expression

For the past few weeks, there has been one overwhelming topic of conversation in the UK. It has not only dominated the media – television, radio, and social networks – but has been a key item on chat shows and public discussions. It has incited demonstrations in London and elsewhere, and firmly refuses to go away even though the sun has finally shone after a long winter.
But it’s not that favourite topic of the English, the weather, that’s been preoccupying us. Even Brexit has suffered a temporary eclipse. The subject that reared its head apparently out of nowhere was anti-Semitism; more specifically, antisemitism in the UK Labour Party.
And it all began with the ‘censorship’ of a piece of street art in East London. History can have a long fuse: the work in question, by the US graffiti artist known as Mear One (see below), was created in 2012 and ‘buffed out’ in Mear’s words, the same year. At the time, Jeremy Corbyn supported the artist on the grounds of free expression. Now, as leader of the Labour Party, he has been challenged to counter alleged persistent under-currents of antisemitism within the party.
Corbyn has publicly expressed regret for his earlier comments on the graffiti, but has yet to deal with the issue in a convincing way. While senior members of the party have been critical of Corbyn’s handling of the affair, some of his allies have suggested that the issue of antisemitism is being ‘weaponised’ by those opposed to his leadership.
The row rumbles on: Corbyn fails to act decisively, Theresa May takes advantage. Where does that leave free expression? Current antisemitism? Hate speech versus censorship? As Umberto Eco demonstrated in his penultimate novel “The Prague Cemetery”, antisemitism was an enduring and obsessive phenomenon throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth: Hitler did not invent it. Nor has it gone away.
But anti-Semitism is not the only problem: recent statistics show racism and hate speech generally are on the rise in Europe and the USA. The growth of the extreme right and the hostility to refugees and immigration it preaches, has, perhaps, encouraged a fear of the ‘other’, of anyone different from ‘us’, that feeds into, even appears to give a veneer of legitimacy, to hate speech.

Maybe this is what we need to confront when we argue the case for free expression against censorship; when we weigh the evils of hate speech against the virtues of free speech. We may not be confronted with ‘clear and present danger’ of physical attack at this moment, but events in Charlottesville last year, when one person was killed and many others injured in the confrontation that erupted between Nazi extremists and their opponents, is only an extreme example of the worst case scenario.

Judith Vidal Hall – 16 April 2018

Mear One (Kalen Ockerman)

In a world burdened with problems, it seems easier to envision another plane of existence and escape there. Rather than spending your life in such a fantasy place, Mear One, an American graffiti writer, sculptor, and designer, suggests facing the cruel reality. Known for his often politically motivated artworks, he also addresses some deeper themes, such as humanity’s origins and existentialism. He’s a thinker and a storyteller who uses paint to express his thoughts about everything that’s around him. On the streets, Mear One aka Kalen Ockerman, is commonly associated with CBS (Can’t Be Stopped – City Bomb Squad) and WCA (West Coast Artist) crews.^[1] As a graphic designer, he has a significant working experience, having designed apparel for Kaotic and Conart, his own Reform brand, and the album covers for Limp Bizkit, Alien Nation, Daddy Kev, Non Phyxion…
Website : http://mearone.com

Reaction of Mear One to the controversy

To be able to react properly it is important to listen to the artist. Mear One responded to the “‘anti-semitic’ painting hysteria” in a paper published on the 28^th of March at the following address: https://www.davidicke.com/article/465695/exclusive-davidicke-com-street-artist-mear-one-responds-anti-semitic-painting-hysteria
He recuses attacks of antisemitism and writes:
« I believe that our religious choices do not define us. These religions are like clothing and it is the choice of the wearer to wear what he or she wants. That should not separate us as humans who breathe the same air and bleed red. It is the financial division that I take issue with and feel its unnatural effects on those who should be family due to species. »