loading . . . Hate Speech Laws Are Here, And They’re Already Being Weaponised |The West Report What is art, and what is hate? Just ask the police! Free speech, hate speech, and a brand new set of laws that look a lot less like “social cohesion” and a lot more like State Powers to Hammer Thy Enemies.  This week alone, three flashpoints lit up at once, a satirical tweet lands a bloke in jail, a far right agitator is prosecuted, and Canberra police raid a cafe over protest art on the wall.   So who decides what counts as “hate”, police on the spot, politicians in Canberra, or the courts, and why do some voices cop the full force of the state while others skate on national television.  Support us ❤️ patreon.com/thewestreport Our Journalism 📰 michaelwest.com.au Merch 👕 https://lonelykidsclub.com/collections/michael-west Linktree 🌐 https://linktr.ee/michaelwestmedia.com.au 00:00: The week the hate speech laws bite  00:38: Police raid a Canberra cafe over posters  03:13: “Criminalising art”, the posters, the gig, the complaint  13:03: The three free speech issues, and the double standard  15:15: Why crackdowns backfire  https://michaelwest.com.au/hate-speech-laws-are-here-and-theyre-already-being-weaponised-the-west-report/