There is a letter dated June 28 circulating inside the European Parliament and it is the specter of violence used to deny freedom, conculcate rights, silence opposition, and hurt others.
It is signed by four MEPs from Renew Europe, the liberal political group born in 2019–Samira Rafaela, Irène Tolleret, Sandro Gozi and Hilde Vautmans–and is addressed to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who, before reaching the empyrean of European politics, used to be pro-life too, but afterwards is much, much less so.
In the letter, the four MEPs call on EU institutions to turn against those who do not think like them, to gag antagonists, to censor “enemies.” They are in fact asking Metsola to immediately withdraw, ban, and deny accreditation to “lobbyists linked to radical-conservative anti-abortion NGOs” after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal “right” to abortion last week. Because they want to prevent something similar from happening in European Union countries.
“Destructive ideologies that restrict basic human rights,” the liberal MEPs close the letter, “do not belong in the world of free speech.” “Destructive ideology” would be the defense of the most fragile and defenseless human life, devoid of legal protections and at the mercy of death imposed by someone stronger. “Fundamental human rights” would be suppression of the most fragile and defenseless human life, devoid of legal protections and at the mercy of death imposed by someone stronger. “Freedom of speech” would be advertising the suppression of the most fragile and defenseless human life, devoid of legal protections and at the mercy of death imposed by someone stronger.
The violence of the demand is so obvious that the first signer, Rafaela, was answered by the vice chair of the Conservative and Reformist group, a Dutchwoman born in Burkina Faso: “Dear colleague, I did not sign your letter, even though I totally respect and actively support the right to abortion. Today you want to deny access to anti-abortion lobbyists, tomorrow someone else will want to deny access to all pro-abortion lobbyists. It’s simply not helpful.” Signed, complete with salutes, Assita Kanko, “MEP and feminist.” That the specter of repression and oppression lurks in the “temple of democracy” in Brussels is of unprecedented gravity; that within that “temple” there are those who understand how repression and oppression are always bad offers at least some consolation. Just as that time in Italy when the voices of some LGBT+ members also rose up benignly against the infamous anti-free speech law known as “ddl Zan“.
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