Free Speech Vs. the New Intolerance Rowan Atkinson, 2018

Rowan Atkinson, the renowned actor and comedian, has been a vocal advocate for free speech, especially in criticizing political correctness and the new intolerance. He played a significant role in the Reform Section 5 Campaign, which targeted the UK Public Order Act 1986. Section 5 made it an offense to use “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior” causing “harassment, alarm or distress.” Atkinson and others argued that “insulting” was too broad and stifled free speech.

The campaign highlighted cases where the law was misused against trivial expressions, leading to self-censorship. In 2013, their efforts succeeded when the government removed “insulting” from Section 5, a victory for free speech advocates.

Comment: It’s worth noting that Rowan humorously critiques the idea of “being only intolerant of intolerance,” but he could have emphasized more clearly that this stance is actually appropriate when intolerance equates to violence.

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