Response to Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s comments about CAGE in her speech to the CCE

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In a speech to the <a href="https://www.cage.ngo/cce-exposed-launch">Commission for Countering Extremism</a> today (1 March 2023), the Home Secretary Suella Braverman made defamatory comments about CAGE. </span> <h3>In response, Anas Mustapha, CAGE’s Head of Public Advocacy said:</h3> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“For two decades CAGE is proud to have led the opposition against the most important public issues of our times, the rise of the authoritarian surveillance state, that has come about largely by inciting hatred and exploiting societal prejudices - which is exactly what Suella Braverman is doing with her comments on CAGE.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">"These are the usual security state lobby tactics to expand its powers to suppress dissent. Like all other average career politicians, she is merely verbalising the ideological and long-term agenda of securocrats.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is unfortunate that a grassroots advocacy group has to fill the gap to lead the opposition against attempts to change centuries old laws and the tradition of opposing arbitrary powers of the state.”</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">“We appeal to all interested in preserving the liberty tradition not to fall victim to the dog whistles once again and to join the push back against the dangerous attempts to create a neoconservative utopia of a "closed society", where the ruling elites restrict dissent altogether.”</span> &nbsp; <em>Image courtesy of <a href="https://flickr.com/photos/192333790@N05/52488118887/in/photolist-2nYck62-2mr9HCo-2nZaQLA-2nZ8nu1-2nYhFLM-2nZ9QWM-2isQq2Y-2nKarcG-2nKcumn-2nWBtuZ-2o1JSec-2kcmSgm-2o1LKAd-2nY1tQi-2o1JBrr-2nWBUj1-2nz85Er-2nz9aUd-2ituhVN-2o1KWJD-2o71Jmz-2ms7aKp-2o1Hu6U-2o1JSbr-2nz1jq9-2nZX7GB-2o1F49E-2o1F48H-2o3VqCP-2nKfjgW-2o746gf-2o76Pfd-2nZbkqs-2nZGWRW-2o746o4-2nZ9VR1-2o71JgE-2o76nKY-2nZXzrk-2nZKoq1-2o76nN8-2o71Jhw-2nZ8sEG-2nYZkqX-2nZSFwo-2nZ9VSo-2nZbkrK-2nZWxnm-2nZHffi-2nZGWRF">UK Government</a> on Flikr</em>