#FreedomOfSpeech exposed the heartbreaking reality of racism in Australia
The response was as huge as it was heartbreaking.
On Australia’s Harmony Day, which is meant to celebrate diversity in the country, the government announced it was planning to go ahead with a plan to overhaul Australia’s law against hate speech.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s statements that the law was limited free speech, sparked the response.
.@TurnbullMalcolm: right now 18C has a 'chilling' effect on free speech #auspol MORE: https://t.co/ykA30Ka9Sn pic.twitter.com/I4nXAye1P3
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) March 21, 2017
In response, Benjamin Law proposed Australians share their stories of being verbally harassed, abused and discriminated against to show exactly what kind of “free speech” Turnbull was so concerned about stifling. The response was as huge as it was heartbreaking.
1.
To celebrate the Coalition tampering with the RDA on #HarmonyDay, let's share stories of racism with hashtag #FreedomOfSpeech. I'll start.
— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) March 21, 2017
Gold Coast, 21, man slams into my shoulder saying, "Fucking gook." I retaliated, but would've been bashed if not for mates. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) March 21, 2017
2.
#Freedomofspeech – my 8 year old begging for skin bleaching because he was teased for being the colour of poo. I lost it that night.
— Su Dharmapala (@SuDharmapala) March 21, 2017
3.
After taxi ride full of racist comments, I tucked my 6yo into bed. He asked me "What's wrong with us? Why do they hate us?" #FreedomofSpeech
— Sharon Davis (@AETLCEWA) March 21, 2017
4.
EX friend told me not to let my child play with 'that girl as she's aboriginal pretending to be white' #FreedomOfSpeech
— Ange (@rosie7173) March 21, 2017
5.
Hi @TurnbullMalcolm,
Is this the #freedomofspeech you want with your changes to 18c? #AusPol via @NovaPeris pic.twitter.com/3DnEzJSCqz
— Kiera (@KieraGorden) March 21, 2017
6.
A woman on my bus told a young couple to "speak english or go back where they came from". They were speaking Pitjantjatjara #FreedomofSpeech
— Sharna Bremner (@sharnatweets) March 21, 2017
7.
Being abused for speaking Greek on the tram – by someone who can barely speak English #FreedomOfSpeech & irony
— Stratos (@Stratos_1000) March 21, 2017
8.
At a uni workshop, yr writing is described as "too ethnic" and "not universal enough" #FreedomofSpeech
— Rhea (@rheaviewmirror) March 21, 2017
9.
#FreedomofSpeech pic.twitter.com/uwWEfOxUCP
— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) March 21, 2017
10.
I once stepped up to a man yelling at a Thai girl to "STOP SPEAKING IN F*CKING CHINESE". He challenged me to a fight. #freedomofspeech
— Kevin Cheung (@ScientificNinja) March 21, 2017
11.
Unable to secure a rental apartment or considered for jobs due to my ethnicity.My name isn't Anglo enough,as per recruiters #FreedomOfSpeech
— Pooja Sengupta (@PoojaSengupta) March 21, 2017
12.
A woman spitting onto my mother's face in front of Woolworths and telling her to go back to her country. I was six. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Michelle Li 🌈 (@michelle_li) March 21, 2017
13.
Highschool kids walking behind me on my way home whispering "ni hao" and "hello" in Asian accent, laughing to themselves #FreedomOfSpeech
— Stephanie Yap (@yapyap92) March 21, 2017
14.
Every time a dude tries to pick me up by saying Ni Hao & I have to pretend not to speak English so I can get the fuck away. #FreedomofSpeech
— Michelle Law 🌈 (@ms_michellelaw) March 21, 2017
15.
"I like Asian girls bc they're more submissive in bed" #FreedomofSpeech
— Yen-Rong Wong | 黃彥蓉 (@inexorablist) March 21, 2017
16.
It's not until you call a white person "racist" that they're ready to acknowledge words have power #FreedomofSpeech
— G i G i (@gacd86) March 21, 2017
17.
Being called a "Muslim slut" by a woman at the bus stop. Being told to "fuck off back to the desert" by a man driving past #FreedomOfSpeech
— mini (@miniestmini) March 21, 2017
18.
Dropping my kids (7 & 10) off at school and car slows down and yells out F$)&g terrorists #FreedomOfSpeech
— Randa Abdel-Fattah (@RandaAFattah) March 21, 2017
19.
In office, one of the “white elite” talking about why they're better business leaders than us Asian women. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Sammi M.U (@MSUlingga) March 21, 2017
20.
1st day of high school: hand-picked for the English as 2nd language class. English was my 1st & only language. #freedomofspeech
— Andrea Ho (@Andrea_K_Ho) March 21, 2017
21.
I worked for a training and recruitment company where reception staff were instructed to put all non-Anglo CV's in the bin #freedomofspeech
— 😸C R A Z Y C A T L A D Y😾 (@olivewhippet) March 21, 2017
21.
'Airport is that way if you want to go home to china'. I live just down the road actually. #freedomofspeech
— Yong Ly (@yongsin_ly) March 21, 2017
22.
I'm 14. Class game. Music stops, boy dances with nearest girl. The boy I get refuses because he "doesn't like Asians'. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Jenevieve Chang (@jenevievechang) March 21, 2017
23.
My director once told the office "Asians eat dogs. It's true!" Right in front of me. Nobody defended me. @mrbenjaminlaw #FreedomofSpeech
— Quite So (@Quite_So) March 21, 2017
24.
My father survived horror of WW2 only to be called a "wog" when teaching me to fish as a young boy.
Still remember his face #FreedomOfSpeech— Pen Boy (@timosimo7) March 21, 2017
25.
I was in primary school the first time I was called a Chink #FreedomOfSpeech
— Yellow Borders (@yellowbordersau) March 21, 2017
26.
My son: taunted: exaggerated Indian accent, called poo face, curry boy. He said stop being racist. They were offended. #FreedomofSpeech
— Div Pillay (@DivPillay1) March 21, 2017
27.
I've been called a 'Fucking Paki', a 'terrorist' and been asked to 'go back where I came from' here in Sydney. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Shanil Samarakoon (@shanilsam) March 21, 2017
28.
Me: I fear dogs
Random stranger: since you are in our country you have to treat dogs better than you do in your country. #FreedomofSpeech— nagma hasan (@NagmaHasan25) March 21, 2017
29.
"You're a fucking queue jumper" – my former neighbour whilst splashing my door with petrol & I was waiting for cops 2011.#FreedomOfSpeech
— elitê? (@Nawiehekatl) March 21, 2017
30.
Grew up country in Western Australia being called boong coon, blackie, im a mix of Indian/ Irish/Burmese #FreedomOfSpeech
— Miche (@mishly7777) March 21, 2017
31.
"IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT PISS OFF AND GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM!"
I'm First Nations. This is my country. #FreedomOfSpeech
— Meleika (@yomeleika) March 21, 2017
32.
Twenty five, as a critical care nurse in a busy emergency department, "I want a white nurse; not whatever you are" #FreedomOfSpeech
— M | Patron Saint of Anger Issues (@maeglinhiei) March 21, 2017
Many of these tweets were read aloud in Parliament by Green Party MP Nick McKim.
Sharing some of the awful stories of everyday racism told via #FreedomOfSpeech today. The government can't say it didn't know pic.twitter.com/xMApFSJJJU
— Nick McKim (@NickMcKim) March 21, 2017
