Censoring the conversation: KSU's appalling attack on free speech

Early this morning, I could hardly believe what appeared on my news feed.

The Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU), which often portrays itself as a defender of the rule of law, has deliberately removed Moviment Graffitti’s stand during Freshers' Week because it contained material advocating pro-choice views on reproductive health.

This is wrong on so many levels. The very act of dismantling  a stand of a student organization is reminiscent of a dictatorship, with self-appointed judges deciding what should or should not be discussed.  The act in itself was reminiscent of the way Labour activists used to clear the daphne shrine opposite the law courts.

Removing a stand is a coercive act and a breach of constitutional rights, especially when the content being advocated does not violate any other law.  Moreover, KSU is not some property owner controlling what it is said and done in its premises but an elected student body administrating public property.

However, instead of acknowledging this mistake and issuing a public apology, KSU has chosen to dig themselves deeper into the hole they created.

I quote verbatim their justification for this action:

“This year, KSU took the decision not to allow any abortion-related entities to participate in Freshers’ Week, no matter the stance—pro-life or pro-choice. We believe this event does not provide an adequate platform for this discussion to take place with the gravitas it deserves.”

They continued by saying that while they “fully support discussions on critical and contentious issues,” they believe “these conversations must be approached with the time, space, and depth they deserve, something that, considering the limited scope of engagement that can be achieved on the stands, cannot occur properly during this week.”

So, what exactly makes the abortion issue so special compared to other topics which KSU finds appropriate to be raised during Freshers’ Week?

Personally, I was pleased that students were greeted by Santa Cement, an artistic expression against the uglification of the country and indirectly against the current government’s policies. But what makes advocating for reproductive rights different from protesting against other pressing matters like the rule of law, corruption, and environmental degradation?

KSU’s twisted logic suggests that reproductive rights are a taboo subject that can only be discussed in sanitized platforms deemed appropriate by them. But who are they to judge which platform is suitable or not?

Sure, they claim that the ban applied to both pro-choice and anti-choice views. Yet, I am confident that Moviment Graffitti would not have objected to Catholic organizations distributing material advocating their stance against abortion rights. Of course, they have every right to do so. In a nutshell, nobody should be censored as long as the material they distribute is not libelous and does not constitute a hate crime.

In fact, the greatest obstacle to any rational discussion on abortion rights is its taboo status. Fortunately, the situation has improved considerably over the past decade. Back in 1995, when I was part of Moviment Graffitti, I joined a protest against Malta’s stance on abortion at the United Nations. We were depicted as ‘baby killers’ and ostracized. Today, people are less afraid to speak out, as witnessed by the hundreds who marched for the decriminalization of abortion on Saturday.

I suspect that conservative elites are worried they have lost their power to decide which issues should be discussed or not.  Ironically they now find themselves censoring a stance which is in line  with mainstream opinion across the European Union and beyond, as reflected by the positions of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the World Health Organization.

KSU’s repressive and coercive intervention is nothing short of a throwback to a bygone age, reminiscent of other acts of censorship, like that against Ir-Realta in 2009. I sincerely urge them to recant and apologize and that those responsible for such a dumb decision do the right thing and resign.