Free Press Society (Denmark)
The Free Press Society Trykkefrihedsselskabet in Danish, is Danish organisation established in 2005 which claims that Islam is the main threat to freedom of expression.[1]
Contents
Activities
Displaying racist 'art'
After self-declared Swedish 'artist' Dan Park was convicted of inciting racial hatred in Sweden, the Danish Free Press Society set up a website to sell some of Park's 'art' and sought to have them displayed in an exhibition in Copenhagen.[2]
Park, who had several similar convictions, was found guilty of inciting hatred against an ethnic group in August 2014 in a case related to nine posters that included images of black men with nooses around their necks, displayed in a Malmö art gallery owned by Henrik Rönnquist.[3] The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) observed that such images 'reinforce deeply ingrained negative stereotypes of Black people and perpetuate power structures within European societies, leading to high levels of discrimination' and 'send the message that racist prejudices are socially and legally acceptable.'[4].
Lars Hedegaard of the Free Press Society said the works were not racist and that his organisation wanted to show the works in support of free speech and claimed to have sold some of Park's pictures through the 'Free Speech Library', reportedly 'a for-profit' offshoot of the Free Press Society.[5] After Danish radio station Radio24syv cancelled its plans to stage a 'happening' featuring Park's art[6], Hedegaard stated that Danish artist Kristian von Hornsleth would display Park's art at the Copenhagen gallery Hornsleth & Friends in late October 2014.[5]
People
- Lars Hedegaard - President
- Katrine Winkel Holm - Vice president / chair[2]
- Aia Fog - deputy chairperson[2]
Katrine Winkel Holm is the sister of Danish People's Party MP Marie Krarup. Together in October 2015 they hosted an event at the Danish parliament for the 10th anniversary of the Mohammed cartoons publication. Speakers included British commentator Douglas Murray, German journalist Henryk Broder, Vebjørn Selbekk, and Mark Steyn.[7]
Awards
The Society issues two annual awards - The Free Speech Award and the Sappho Award.[8]
Funding
Has received grant from the Middle East Forum Educational Fund.
Free Speech Award
- 2006 - Shabana Rehman and Roy Brown
- 2007 - Daniel Pipes[9]
- 2008 - Ibn Warraq[10]
Sappho Award
- 2008 - Kurt Westergaard[11]
External Resources
- Daniel Pipes Speech, Google videos, 8 March 2007.
Notes
- ↑ Welcome to The Free Press Society, Trykkefrihedsselskabet, accessed 23 September 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Justin Cremer, Danish group selling 'racist' Swedish art, The Local, 1 October 2014 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Cremer1" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Swedish artist sentenced for 'racist' art, The Guardian, 22 August 2014, accessed 13 February 2015
- ↑ Is art becoming the ultimate refuge of racism in Sweden and Denmark?, ENAR, 8 October 2014, accessed 13 February 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 justin Cremer, The seller of 'Sweden's most dangerous art' The Local, 3 October 2014
- ↑ 'Racist' Swedish artist's Danish show cancelled, The Local, 29 September2014
- ↑ Mark Steyn, Freedom, security, and incentivizing violence, Defend Free Speech, SteynOnline, 3 October 2015, accessed 14 October 2015
- ↑ Welcome to The Free Press Society, Trykkefrihedsselskabet, accessed 23 September 2011.
- ↑ Baron Bodissey, Daniel Pipes Heads For Denmark, Gates of Vienna, 3 March 2007.
- ↑ Welcome to The Free Press Society, Trykkefrihedsselskabet, accessed 23 September 2011.
- ↑ Welcome to The Free Press Society, Trykkefrihedsselskabet, accessed 23 September 2011.
