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The controversial law will also bar hate speech and harassment.

What does it mean in the above example?

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2  
I'm intrigued as to why you assumed bar hate was a single element. In the UK, hate speech is quite a common expression - is that not the case where you come from? I don't much care for the term; it smacks of downbeat journalese to me. But one certainly reads it quite a lot in these troubled times. – FumbleFingers Jun 24 '11 at 4:58
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Bar hate: the stop on a pub crawl between bar sheven and bar fnine. – MT_Head Jun 24 '11 at 4:59
@FumbleFingers: I Don't know why I thought they would be one element! Maybe because I had not seen "hate speech" before though it totally makes sense. – Manoochehr Jun 24 '11 at 5:12
@MT_Head: Quite Good! – Manoochehr Jun 24 '11 at 5:12
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I myself hate bar speech. – JeffSahol Jun 24 '11 at 17:23
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2 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

"Bar" means "prohibit", so the sentence translates to:

The controversial law will also prohibit hate speech and harassment.

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up vote 4 down vote

Controversial law (subject); will bar (verb); hate speech (object).

"Bar" in this context is a verb that means "forbid," or "hold back," (as in "bar the door.") It has nothing to do with taverns (which have "bars"), and that is probably why you're confused.

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