00:03Hello, you're watching Euronews' fact-checking show The Cube.
00:07Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of central London on the 16th of May
00:11to attend a march organised by British far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
00:15At least 11 individuals, including multiple figures linked to Europe's far-right,
00:19as well as an MEP, were barred from entering the UK.
00:23British Prime Minister Keir Starber said the ban aimed to prevent far-right agitators
00:27from entering, describing their presence as not conducive to the public good.
00:32Many of those bans, such as 26-year-old Catalan activist Ada Luck,
00:36are staunch supporters of re-migration.
00:39This idea calls for the mass-forced removal of immigrants from Europe,
00:43an idea described by rights groups as a white supremacist policy.
00:47Others, such as Flemish MP Philip de Vinter, have been embroiled in past controversies.
00:52For instance, in 2015, he stated that the word racist was no longer an insult, but a title of honour.
00:59On social media, the British government's decision has been framed as a political move
01:04by the UK's left-wing government to clamp down on freedom of speech.
01:08But the reality is more nuanced.
01:10Now, British law stipulates that freedom of expression is protected under the 1998 Human Rights Act.
01:16But this also explicitly allows the government to limit free speech to prevent crime or for national security matters.
01:23Past conservative governments have predominantly used visa bans to bar extremists and hate creatures from entry,
01:29according to available research, targeting Islamist figures who are accused of supporting terrorism or sectarian violence.
01:36But in 2013, the UK's then Home Secretary, Theresa May, banned two US bloggers from entering the country,
01:43citing their stance against Islam.
01:45The UK has legal provisions in place to criminalise hate speech.
01:49This includes using threatening words or behaviour,
01:52or distributing material which intends to stir up religious hatred.
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