University of Cape Town vs. Free Speech

Mark Oppenheimer, a lawyer in South Africa whom readers may know as the co-host of the popular Brain in a Vat philosophy podcast, is facing removal from his position as a member of the Council (the governing body) of the University of Cape Town (UCT) because of remarks he made while being interviewed on someone else’s podcast. An open letter defending Oppenheimer’s right to free speech is currently accepting signatures. On the UCT Council website, it’s noted that Oppenheimer “has appeared in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court in a series of cases that seek to determine the boundary between freedom of expression and genuine hate speech.” His role was as a lawyer in those cases, but perhaps the current situation will end up with him in the role of plaintiff. While being interviewed by Ayaan Hirsi Ali on her podcast in March 2025, Oppenheimer made some remarks about the UCT, criticizing its boycott of Israeli academics [it is apparently a boycott of academics…

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