What we are experiencing at the moment is the increasing censorship and intimidation of those who are excercising the kind of freedom of speech that is so cherished by the West. We rightly view such freedom of expression as the hallmark of a democracy.
I don't think blowing up embassies in Syria quite falls under the 'freedom of speech' heading.
In reply to:
Irving...now accepts that he was mistaken.
According to today's Sydney Morning Herald, Irving was planning to go to a "Holocaust denial conference" held by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which "will bring together radical Muslims, anti-semites and neo-Nazis". That doesn't indicate that Irving has changed his mind.
That doesn't mean I think the Austrian government was justified in creating the law in the first place, but I think that under the law as it stands Irving is clearly guilty and should be prosecuted.
Re: Free speech