All posts tagged: Campaigner

Tourette’s Campaigner Addresses Baftas N-Word Tic Incident A Week Later

Tourette’s Campaigner Addresses Baftas N-Word Tic Incident A Week Later

Published by Sam Flores

Last month, John attended the awards show with the cast and crew of I Swear, a film inspired by his life story and experiences of living with Tourette’s. During the event, he experienced a number of involuntary tics, one of which occurred while Sinners actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting on stage, resulting in him shouting the N-word from the audience. In the last week, the incident has sparked a wave of headlines, with the BBC in particular facing scrutiny over how the uncensored slur ended up being included in the broadcaster’s Baftas coverage, which aired on a two-hour delay. On Sunday, a week after the Baftas, John shared a message on his public Facebook page, claiming he’d been “waiting all week until the dust settles” to speak out. “I would like to thank each and every one of you who have shown love, support and solidarity towards myself and the rest of the Tourette’s community,” he began. “Your kind words and support have got me through a very difficult week. “Whilst …

Tourette’s Campaigner Addresses Baftas N-Word Tic Incident

Tourette’s Campaigner Addresses Baftas N-Word Tic Incident

Published by Sam Flores

Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson has issued a statement in response to the media furore surrounding an incident at this year’s Baftas. On Sunday evening, John attended the awards show alongside the cast and crew of I Swear, a film based on his life story. Variety reported that before the ceremony got underway, the event’s floor manager told guests that they “might hear some involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony”. During the first award of the night, presented by Sinners actors Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, John experienced an involuntary tic and shouted the N-word from the audience. Following the incident – which the BBC included in its coverage of the Baftas, despite it airing on a two-hour time delay – John spoke out in a statement shared by Deadline on Monday night. He began: “I wanted to thank Bafta and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast. “I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone …

Tourette’s campaigner ‘deeply mortified’ after racial slur at BAFTAs | Ents & Arts News

Tourette’s campaigner ‘deeply mortified’ after racial slur at BAFTAs | Ents & Arts News

Published by Daniella Wilson

A Tourette’s campaigner who yelled out a racial slur at the BAFTAs has spoken out about the incident, saying he is “deeply mortified”. John Davidson MBE was attending the awards ceremony after inspiring the film, I Swear, which dramatises his life with severe Tourette syndrome. The condition is characterised by sudden, involuntary, repetitive sounds or movements, known as tics, which cause Davidson to call out inappropriate words. That’s what happened at the BAFTAs, when he called out a racial slur while two black actors, Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were on stage presenting the first award of the night. Image: John Davidson, left, with Robert Aramayo, who plays him in I Swear, at the BAFTA film nominees party. Pic: AP Now Davidson has spoken out about the incident, saying that he is “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning”. He also praised the BAFTA organisers for notifying the audience about his tics beforehand and clarifying that they do not reflect his personal beliefs. Image: John …

Politics Home | British Campaigner Threatened With US Deportation Says “Tendrils Of Big Tech” Have Reached Westminster

Politics Home | British Campaigner Threatened With US Deportation Says “Tendrils Of Big Tech” Have Reached Westminster

Published by Sam Flores

Imran Ahmed and No10 Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney set up the Center for Countering Digital Hate in 2018 (Alamy) 7 min read19 min A British-born campaigner threatened with deportation from the US has said the “tendrils of big tech” have spread to Westminster. Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the British-American non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has a green card visa, which allows him to live in Washington DC with his wife and child. On Christmas Eve, the US State Department announced visa sanctions and entry bans against Ahmed and several other European campaigners, accusing them of coercing American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose – an allegation Ahmed rejected. Just after midnight on Christmas Day, a judge granted a temporary restraining order preventing the US government from arresting or removing him while the case proceeds, and there will now be months of legal briefings and hearings to determine his future. Ahmed said he believes that big tech has been undermining efforts to regulate technology in the …

Uganda Detains Prominent Rights Campaigner and Government Critic Ahead of Polls

Uganda Detains Prominent Rights Campaigner and Government Critic Ahead of Polls

Published by Sam Flores

KAMPALA, Dec 31 (Reuters) – Police in Uganda said ‌they ​have detained a prominent ‌human rights activist as long-serving President Yoweri Museveni’s government ​widens its crackdown on dissent and political opposition ahead of the January ‍15 general election. The detention of ​Sarah Bireete, head of a rights organisation and a frequent anti-government ​commentator ⁠on local TV and radio, was confirmed by police in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday.  “She is in police custody. She will be arraigned before court in due course,” the post said, without ‌specifying when she would appear in court or what charges she faces. Bireete, ​a ‌lawyer and executive director ‍of ⁠the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), has been critical of a range of government actions including what the opposition says are illegal detentions and torture of its supporters. The CCG could not be immediately reached for comment.  The January election pits incumbent Museveni, 81, who has been in power since 1986, against pop-star-turned-politician Bobi ​Wine.  Wine, 43, and his National Unity Platform party say hundreds of …