Activist group Moviment Graffitti took to social media to share that their University Campus stand for Fresher’s Week had been taken down, reportedly due to having material relating to reproductive rights.
‘It is unbelievable. They told us that material relating to reproductive rights had to be removed’, wrote the group.
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‘Obviously, we did not accept this. Thus, they stealthily went behind our backs, in the middle of the night, and took down our stand, confiscating any material we had in it.’
Saying that KSU think themselves ‘some kind of moral dictators’, they asked: ‘what’s next? Burning books?’
In response, KSU released a statement saying that this year it took the decision not to allow any abortion related entities to participate in Fresher’s Week, no matter the stance of 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. KSU fully supports discussions on critical and contentious issues, but believes that 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.’
‘Despite this, Moviment Graffiti chose to display pro-choice content at their stand, ignoring our reasoning, which had been clearly communicated. As a result, the organisation has levied further accusations, which so far have only been made in private, against KSU, for censorship.’
‘It is essential that the distinction between censorship and ensuring that controversial topics are discussed in a setting that respects their complexity be made clear.’
UPDATED WITH STATEMENT BY ŻGĦAŻAGĦ LABURISTI:
Żgħażagħ Laburisti expressed concern over recent events during Freshers’ Week at the University of Malta, where it was reported that Moviment Graffiti’s stand was dismantled by organizers. They condemned the alleged censorship, emphasizing that freedom of expression, when conducted respectfully, should not be suppressed. They stressed that educational institutions must foster open dialogue, rather than limit discussion on sensitive topics. Żgħażagħ Laburisti also pointed out that laws have been passed to combat censorship and expressed disappointment that these decisions seem to undermine recent progress in supporting free speech.
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