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General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: jimmy olsen on November 12, 2012, 10:15:08 AM

Title: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 12, 2012, 10:15:08 AM
THOUGHT CRIME!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/12/kent-man-arrested-burning-poppy

Quote
Kent man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet

Police say that the man from Aylesham had been arrested on suspicion of 'malicious telecommunications'

    Ben Quinn   
    The Guardian, Monday 12 November 2012   



Police in Kent have arrested a man after a picture of burning poppy was posted on a social networking site.

The force said in a short press release posted on its website that the man, from Aylesham, had been arrested on suspicion of "malicious telecommunications".

"This follows a posting on a social network site of a burning poppy," said the statement on Sunday, which added that he was in police custody awaiting interview. Police provided no other details of the incident, which comes as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is preparing to release interim guidelines for prosecution of offences on social media.

Padraig Reidy, of Index on Censorship, which campaigns on freedom of expression issues, said: "News of this arrest is very worrying. Index hopes that when the CPS issues its guidelines on free speech later this month, due regard will be given to free speech online."

The director of public prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, announced in September that he was launching a public consultation and issue guidelines on how to deal with the daily avalanche of hundreds of millions of comments – some abusive, some potentially criminal – posted on social media sites.

According to the website of the CPS, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, section 1, "deals with the sending to another of any article which is indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat, or which is false, provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

The CPS website states: "The offence covers letters, writing of all descriptions, electronic communications, photographs and other images in a material form, tape recordings, films and video recordings."

Last year, Police in Northern Ireland arrested a number of people after a picture of two youths burning a poppy was posted on Facebook.

In another case, also dating from 2011, a who burned replica poppies on Remembrance Day in London was fined £50 after being found guilty of a public order offence.

Emdadur Choudhury, a member of Muslims Against Crusades (MAC), was guilty of a "calculated and deliberate" insult to the dead and those who mourn them when he burned two large plastic poppies during a two-minute silence, according to the district judge in the case.

• This article was amended on 12 November 2012. The director of public prosecutions is Keir Starmer, not Ken Starmer. This has been corrected.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Martinus on November 12, 2012, 10:17:03 AM
This is fucking ridiculous.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:33:33 AM
The UK would be by far the easiest emigration target for me, but I must say I am growing less and less fond of the idea. At least here back home I have a good idea of what is accepted behavior by the regime and what not.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
QuoteAccording to the website of the CPS, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, section 1, "deals with the sending to another of any article which is indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat, or which is false, provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

British politeness.  It is not just a good idea, it is the law.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 12, 2012, 10:38:35 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
QuoteAccording to the website of the CPS, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, section 1, "deals with the sending to another of any article which is indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat, or which is false, provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

British politeness.  It is not just a good idea, it is the law.
The Judges of Brit-Cit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit-Cit) must be terrifying.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

[/quote]

So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Liep on November 12, 2012, 10:48:01 AM
Good idea, they should also arrest all postmen so there'll be no more death threats!
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Richard Hakluyt on November 12, 2012, 10:49:47 AM
Quote from: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".


So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?
[/quote]

A badly-worded law from a more robust age. The intent was to criminalise death threats or libellous stuff like calling someone a paedophile. In recent years a few police have started interpreting it as "hurting someone's feelings".
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Gups on November 12, 2012, 10:57:32 AM
Yep, it's partly the police and its partly the press creating an atmosphere in which the police feel obliged to do this kind of stuff.

Also the police just don't seem to have got their heads around social media.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Saladin on November 12, 2012, 11:05:31 AM
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on November 12, 2012, 10:49:47 AM
Quote from: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".


So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?

A badly-worded law from a more robust age. The intent was to criminalise death threats or libellous stuff like calling someone a paedophile. In recent years a few police have started interpreting it as "hurting someone's feelings".
[/quote]

Indeed.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Razgovory on November 12, 2012, 01:28:03 PM
Quote from: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".


So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?
[/quote]

What, you never hear about the "Video Nasties" thing they had in the UK back in the 1980's?
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Eddie Teach on November 12, 2012, 01:31:07 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 12, 2012, 01:28:03 PM
Quote from: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".
Nobody in this forum can edit quotes right.

So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?

What, you never hear about the "Video Nasties" thing they had in the UK back in the 1980's?
[/quote]
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Viking on November 12, 2012, 01:34:48 PM
Anybody burning a poppy on the 11.11 is scum and to the best of my knowledge the guy doing this is scum. But civilized countries should not arrest people for insulting prophets or attacking values and ideals of other people.

Arresting this dickwad is wrong.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Razgovory on November 12, 2012, 01:39:45 PM
Quote from: Peter Wiggin on November 12, 2012, 01:31:07 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on November 12, 2012, 01:28:03 PM
Quote from: Tamas on November 12, 2012, 10:45:13 AM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".
Nobody in this forum can edit quotes right.

So all movie theaters showing horror movies can be closed, and their owners prosecuted?

What, you never hear about the "Video Nasties" thing they had in the UK back in the 1980's?
[/quote]

I thought that poorly quoting someone was part the Tamas message, so I left it as is.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: garbon on November 12, 2012, 03:51:45 PM
Quote from: Viking on November 12, 2012, 01:34:48 PM
Anybody burning a poppy on the 11.11 is scum and to the best of my knowledge the guy doing this is scum. But civilized countries should not arrest people for insulting prophets or attacking values and ideals of other people.

Arresting this dickwad is wrong.

:yes:
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: jimmy olsen on November 12, 2012, 05:15:03 PM
Quote from: Gups on November 12, 2012, 10:57:32 AM
Yep, it's partly the police and its partly the press creating an atmosphere in which the police feel obliged to do this kind of stuff.

Also the police just don't seem to have got their heads around social media.
The press would go fucking nuts if that happened here, what the hell is wrong with the British media?
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: Viking on November 12, 2012, 05:22:27 PM
Quote from: jimmy olsen on November 12, 2012, 05:15:03 PM
Quote from: Gups on November 12, 2012, 10:57:32 AM
Yep, it's partly the police and its partly the press creating an atmosphere in which the police feel obliged to do this kind of stuff.

Also the police just don't seem to have got their heads around social media.
The press would go fucking nuts if that happened here, what the hell is wrong with the British media?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

we usually don't bring that up much, it's embarrassing.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: CountDeMoney on November 12, 2012, 05:23:59 PM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
QuoteAccording to the website of the CPS, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, section 1, "deals with the sending to another of any article which is indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat, or which is false, provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

British politeness.  It is not just a good idea, it is the law.

Those people are just plain weird over there.  First, no refills, now this.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: garbon on November 12, 2012, 05:25:54 PM
What is more bizarre is the image that someone posted of the poppy kid.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/12/article-2231660-15FCAC24000005DC-949_306x315.jpg (NSFW sort of depending on your employer)
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: garbon on November 12, 2012, 05:26:52 PM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on November 12, 2012, 05:23:59 PM
Quote from: Valmy on November 12, 2012, 10:35:54 AM
QuoteAccording to the website of the CPS, the Malicious Communications Act 1988, section 1, "deals with the sending to another of any article which is indecent or grossly offensive, or which conveys a threat, or which is false, provided there is an intent to cause distress or anxiety to the recipient".

British politeness.  It is not just a good idea, it is the law.

Those people are just plain weird over there.  First, no refills, now this.

Many places here don't do free refills either. -_-
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: CountDeMoney on November 12, 2012, 05:28:21 PM
Quote from: garbon on November 12, 2012, 05:26:52 PM
Many places here don't do free refills either. -_-

Hey, you moved to Bloombergistan.  We still have freedom for iced tea here.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: garbon on November 12, 2012, 05:30:15 PM
I'd pick the Village over the Mills, any day.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: CountDeMoney on November 12, 2012, 05:30:46 PM
REFILLS UBER ALLES
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: sbr on November 12, 2012, 07:49:16 PM
You get free refills on water everywhere. :smarty:
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: dps on November 12, 2012, 08:01:37 PM
Quote from: sbr on November 12, 2012, 07:49:16 PM
You get free refills on water everywhere. :smarty:

Not true.
Title: Re: British man arrested after picture of burning poppy posted on internet
Post by: garbon on November 12, 2012, 08:23:14 PM
Quote from: dps on November 12, 2012, 08:01:37 PM
Quote from: sbr on November 12, 2012, 07:49:16 PM
You get free refills on water everywhere. :smarty:

Not true.

Yeah, I want more Acqua Panna - I gotta pay for that.