Dear Editor,
Frome Town Council's decision to prevent Frome Friends of Palestine from advertising a film screening fundraiser on community notice boards raises serious concerns about censorship and the misuse of council policy.
The event, a screening of Gaza: A Story of Love and War with a Q&A session, was intended to raise money for humanitarian aid - a cause that should be universally supported, not suppressed.
The council's justification for the ban, based on the event being 'too political,' is a flimsy and dangerous precedent.
As a supporter of the group, I was told that the flyers were prohibited under the council's media policy and the Local Government Act 1986.
Yet I know there is a crucial distinction between being 'political' and being 'party political.'
The latter, which the Act addresses, prevents councils from supporting a specific political party.
The former, however, encompasses a wide range of political/social issues that councils routinely engage with, from climate change to homelessness.
The council's inconsistent application of its own rules is particularly troubling.
Staff members themselves drew parallels between this event and the council's support for displaced people from Ukraine, highlighting the hypocrisy.
By labelling a humanitarian fundraiser 'too political,' the council is effectively using policy as a tool to silence debate and avoid taking a position on a sensitive but vital global issue.
This is not about neutrality; it is about censorship.
The residents of Frome deserve better than to have their right to free expression curtailed by a council afraid to engage with difficult topics.
The decision to deny a platform to a peaceful, charitable community group is an affront to the principles of open dialogue and community engagement.
I urge the council to reconsider its position and to uphold its duty to serve all its residents, not just those with whom it feels comfortable.
Yours sincerely,
Tim Burghes
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