I can't believe we are inviting this guy to the UK.

He is nothing more than a war monger.

It is laughable that he seems to be pointing the finger at the mistakes of others while playing such a dirty part in George Bush's war in Iraq. A war based on lies, lies supported by John Bolton.

Why don't you invite Robert Mugabe to speak. He's got lots of ideas.

I can see why people are concerned about this talk, John Bolton has advocated pre-emptive strikes on Iran - something which I find deeply concerning. He backs the illegal war in Iraq and has described the UN as "fundamentally irrelevant" (presumably along with their Universal Declaration of Human Rights?). Again - very concerning.

I applaud your commitment to diversity and freedom of speech and expect that all views will be tolerated - I expect it will be a lively event. I would also ask how much of Council Tax payers money has been paid towards this event and hope that in the interest of the public this is disclosed.

I am deeply ashamed, as an American, that you have invited this dangerous and misguided man. He does not deserve or need a Bristol platform to disseminate his twisted ideas that are not just "ideas" but deaths of thousands,which one day the USA will disown in horror. In the meantime, the damage for which he is responsible with others is vast. Based on your ""Freedom of Speech Policy", prior to the event, I accuse him of "being excessively provocative." and that fair and right thinking citizens without the gift of a prestigious platform may indeed be moved to create public disorder (against this outrageously unjust order) and break the law in the noble tradition of civil disobedience, historically a vital tool in nonviolent democratic change. Please decide NOT to proceed with this mistake.

This man desrves to dissapear - along with the rest of them - he is a criminal end of story.

Why not invite John Negroponte he can tell you how to rganise death squads a man brimming with ideas i should imagine.

I hope there is a massive turn out on 29/05 registering the disgust that people rightly have for this contemptable excuse for a human being

Watershed you should be ashamed of yourselves - the idiot that thinks this is a good idea should apologise cancel the invite and have their motives seriously questioned.

What kind of a signal do you think this is going to give - you are insulting the majrity who do not support what is now called the long war, withdraw the i nvite NOW!

This is a sad day for Bristol

I've kept myself anonymous because I know this comment might attract some vitriolic abuse - but as a left-leaning liberal, I wholeheartedly support the decision to let John Bolton speak. As much as I despise the man and his policies, it'd be hypocritical to deny him his freedom of speech. Yes, I know he's denied all sorts of rights to other peoples, but that's what I mean when I say it'd be hypocritical to essentially stoop to his level. To those who think that he should be banned from speaking because he's a "criminal", do you support regimes that impose the death penalty, or that amputate the hands of thiefs, or that castrate rapists? Probably not, because you realise that vengenace does not make a tolerant and respectful society. Bolton is despicable, but let's not make ourselves despicable by denying the right to freedom of speech, with its caveats as expressed in the Festival's policy, that is so fundamental to democracy.

There's a difference between banning speakers and not inviting them. You may support the freedom of speech of lots of different people/organisations but that doesn't mean you invite them to the festival of ideas. Its not like the festival of ideas is going to have someone on the platform arguing and calling for terrorist attacks in bristol on innocent civilians. John Bolton is far worse. He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis and consequently the increased threat of terrorism in this country.

The fact that he's speaking on the UN is the biggest joke of all when he famously said that "There's no such thing as the UN". So he's speaking on something he thinks doesn't exist.

His "ideas" amount to "might makes right". This is neither interesting nor (for anyone with morals) controversial. I too support free speech but why offer this man, responsible for so much death and suffering, another platform from which to spread his hate?

Im looking forward to meeting Bon Jovi. Yes he has become more political since the early days of 'Runaway' and 'Living on a Pray' and I dont dig the moustache and glasses as much as cowboy hats and ripped jeans but age comes to us all.


The UN is important, and if John embodies the same thrills there as he did in 1986's 'Slipper When Wet' Album or 1992's 'Keep the Faith', then progress, change and good old rock and roll will truimph.

'I never drew 1st, but I drew first blood, Im the devils son, call me young gun'

Welcome to the UK Jon

Rock!

xxx

On Tuesday morning, I did the Radio Bristol Thought for the Day on a Festival of Ideas controversy. Here it is:

Bristol's unique festival of ideas is in full swing. “Festival” is a joyful word, but ideas are not just for fun: they really matter.
It's not then surprising that there is controversy surrounding one of the speakers. John Bolton was the US Ambassador to the United Nations, and is, for some, a war-mongering agent of US imperialism, a supporter of US military action in Iraq and, if necessary, Iran.
A small but loud minority of people are arguing that Bolton should not be provided with a platform to speak in Bristol. To them, he shares responsibility for the deaths of innocent civilians in Iraq.
Of course, it would be easy at this point to trot out the old clichés about the importance of free speech. But Bolton's case shows why such freedoms are not easy to defend or maintain. The Festival of Ideas would not, for example, allow an unrepentent murderer to talk, no matter how good their memoirs were. So you can see why people who think Bolton is some kind of murderer object to his appearance.
The trouble is, we don't always agree on what murderers look like. Many opposed to abortion believe doctors who carry them out are murderers. Some pacifists believe that anyone who chooses to go to war is a murderer. If others disagree, you have to persuade them they are wrong, not force them to change their minds. In the meantime, we all have to accept what we might personally find unacceptable.
One of the hardest things in a democratic society is thus that where we fundamentally disagree about major issues, we have to put up with having people in our midst whom we think do evil things.

Your points might be valid if Bolton was some kind of dissident whose views are novel, suppressed or controversial. He's not. He hardly needs a further platform does he?

I think the world can probably be divided into people who think Bolton is responsible for crimes against humanity and people who don't really know much about him (I'm excluding the handful of people in the US administration who are complicit in his crimes).

I am simply appalled that you have invited such a character as Bolton. What can he contribute the "Festival of Ideas" apart from mass murder. Please come to your senses and cancel the venue.