Thursday, May 25, 7-8:30pm
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 30 W. Woodruff Ave. OSU campus
The demonstrations against Milo Yiannopolis's planned speech in Berkeley, and subsequent efforts to shut down the Right, have renewed debate on the role of free speech within the Left and society more broadly. In light of these debates, how should the Left understand free speech, and the relationship between speech and power? What has the role of socialists been in struggles for free speech?

To take on these questions, we will read articles that assess the experiences of the demonstrations in Berkeley and a more recent attempt to shut-down a right-wing "Free speech" rally in Boston.

Suggested readings:

"Thousands confront the right in Berkeley," Mukund Rathi
https://socialistworker.org/2017/02/06/thousands-confront-the-right-in-berkeley

"The far right pollutes Boston Common," Alpana Mehta and Michael Fiorentino
https://socialistworker.org/2017/05/17/the-far-right-pollutes-boston-common

Additional reading:

"Free Speech and Political Struggle," Hal Draper
http://csh.gn.apc.org/Archives/Free%20Speech/Main/Draper.htm