Re: British Man Arrested for Saying He Doesn't Like Palestinian Flags

On 2025-03-23 5:25 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:
 

British man posts online that he doesn't like to see all the Palestine flags
in his city. Shortly afterward, at 4MA, British police broke into his house
and arrested him for it.

 

https://x.com/RadioGenoa/status/1903716412968857769

 I had a very difficult time hearing the audio.
 Is it this arrest at 9:55 pm Tuesday 10/31/2023
 https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1830176/man-arrested-racist-palestine-flag-video
 The charge: racially aggravated Section 5 public order offence
 If the objection is to flying a flag, which is an assertion of
nationalism, I don't see the "racial" aspect. Note that this is an
AGGRAVATING factor; the prosecution is seeking a steeper penalty.
 But this is a moviePig crime and words mean whatever we want them to
mean. "Racial" includes "nationality" or "national origins". Remember,
it's the offender's perception, not the fact of the group offended. It's
an expression of hostility and if the offender expressed hostility that
is NOT criminalized, that's not considered.
 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/37/section/28
 moviePig wrote these helpful charging guidelines to guide police:
 https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/public-order-offences-incorporating-charging-standard#a07
 The underlying crime includes Section 4. Check out the interpretation
that the offending speaker could be a victim of another crime himself
when he utters offending words and can thus be charged with his own
crime. In fact, Section 4 applies even if what the offender did isn't an
assault!
 https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/public-order-offences-incorporating-charging-standard#a07
 moviePig has already won.

To paraphrase something whose origins I've forgotten: "It's a moviePig world and we're just living in it - for now."
--
Rhino