We should give thanks every single day for the Founding Fathers' insight and the forethought they put into the Constitution. They believed so deeply in the right to free speech that they enshrined it in our Constitution. Other nations do not have the same robust protections for free speech, and it shows.
In Europe, especially in places like Germany and England, free speech doesn't exist. You're only allowed to say that of which the state approves, and if you don't, you can face serious consequences for the "crime" of ungoodthink.
Spiked, the online media outlet, created a documentary about that very issue and in a moment of peak irony, a British theater has canceled their booking because the film "doesn't align with [its] values."
OUR FREE-SPEECH DOCUMENTARY HAS BEEN CANCELLED
— spiked (@spikedonline) November 19, 2025
THE RICH MIX CINEMA HAS BANNED OUR PREMIERE, BECAUSE OUR FILM DOES NOT ALIGN WITH ITS ‘VALUES’.
You would think that banning a documentary about free speech would be a bad look for a cultural institution. But that’s precisely what… pic.twitter.com/GZQGqLpIY3
You would think that banning a documentary about free speech would be a bad look for a cultural institution. But that’s precisely what Rich Mix in east London has just done.
We were all set to hold the premiere of our documentary, Think Before You Post, about the rise of the British speech police, at Rich Mix on Tuesday 25 November. But last night, we received an email saying the venue would be ‘terminating [our] booking contract’.
‘Since confirming your booking, it has come to light that the content and speakers featured do not align with our values and mission here at Rich Mix’, reads the email. ‘Our founding objectives are to support marginalised communities (primarily communities facing racial inequity), promote intercultural understanding, eliminate racial discrimination, and foster equality of opportunity through arts and culture.’
Those of you who have watched the documentary might be wondering what this is getting at. After all, the film is about the people who have been arrested, prosecuted and even held on remand for alleged speechcrime – even though they hadn’t said anything the least bit hateful.
Rich Mix claims that the ‘nature of the event was not fully disclosed to us upon booking’. This is despite the fact the documentary was already available to watch online when we snagged the slot. And all of the speakers who were due to take part in the post-screening Q&A were in the film itself.
Recommended
Spiked also says the documentary was age-restricted thanks to the U.K.'s Orwellian Online Safety Act, which the outlet calls "illiberal."
They're being kind. The Online Safety Act used "protecting children" as a guise to usher in massive online censorship and to restrict citizens' access to the media and content their political overlords don't like.
You can watch the documentary that Rich Mix and British authorities don't want you to see here:
Watch the documentary they don’t want you to watch: https://t.co/pnT32IlBtX
— spiked (@spikedonline) November 19, 2025
This behavior shows that the people passing these laws know they're the bad guys. If they were so certain their policies toward speech were appropriate, they would have no need to censor their critics. Instead, they know their policies are authoritarian and have to crush any dissent that brings such behavior to light.
Quite extraordinary from @RichMixLondon which claims to "strive to represent, reflect & respect different voices & perspectives" yet hates the very idea of #FreeSpeech.@lisanandy How on earth can you justify @ace__london giving money to an organisation that practises… pic.twitter.com/ZB5mKAODlh
— Keith Mansfield📚🚀✨ (@KeithMansfield) November 19, 2025
We all know the Left doesn't believe in the inclusivity of conservative thought. Such "inclusivity" statements are fancy ways of saying "white conservatives aren't allowed or tolerated."
This is insane. https://t.co/fnC417SEYx
— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) November 19, 2025
Yes, it is.
You couldn’t make this up.
— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) November 20, 2025
The Rich Mix Cinema has cancelled Spiked’s screening of its new documentary on free speech — Think Before You Post.
This is an appalling look for The Rich Mix Cinema, but also a point proven.
It is not the first time one of Spiked’s documentaries on… https://t.co/7VMbxMRlcG
"It is not the first time one of Spiked’s documentaries on censorship has been censored," the Free Speech Union (FSU) wrote. "The Online Safety Act meant that a promotional post on X was removed despite containing no age-inappropriate content. This screening will go ahead — the FSU will help secure a new venue. It’s vital that people understand the true scale of the free speech crisis we’re facing in the UK."
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