UK Commission for Countering Extremism: Don’t do anything I say in this song: countering extremism with candour not censorship
Body
An essay written by CEP Strategic Advisor Liam Duffy, part of a series of essays on defending free speech commissioned by Robin Simcox, the former Commissioner for Countering Extremism. This essay examines how the counter-extremism sector has expanded beyond its original focus on terroristic radicalisation to encompass broader political phenomena, often at the expense of freedom of expression. Using the case of rapper Tyler, the Creator’s 2015 UK ban as a starting point, it argues for a more focused approach to countering extremism that protects free speech and maintains public trust in institutions.
Date
August 18, 2025
Content Variety
The Counter Extremism Project Presents
Enduring Music: Compositions from the Holocaust
Location:
Eisenhower Theater
Tuesday January 27, 2026 7:30p.m.
Marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Counter Extremism Project's ARCHER at House 88 presents a landmark concert of music composed in ghettos and death camps, performed in defiance of resurgent antisemitism. Curated with world renowned composer, conductor, and musicologist Francesco Lotoro, the program restores classical, folk, and popular works, many written on scraps of paper or recalled from memory, to public consciousness. Featuring world and U.S. premieres from Lotoro's archive, this concert honors a repertoire that endured against unimaginable evil.