Teen Arrested for Posting Picture of Burning Poppy Online (UK)

GLaDOS

http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/teen-accused-of-posting-picture-of-burning-poppy-arrested-573953.html

A teenager arrested on Remembrance Sunday on suspicion of posting a picture of a burning poppy on Facebook is being questioned by British police.

The 19-year-old was held after the image of a poppy being lit by a lighter was reportedly posted online with the obscene caption: “How about that you squadey c****”.

Police said the man, from Canterbury, Kent, was detained on suspicion of an offence under the Malicious Communications Act after officers were contacted at around 4pm yesterday.

This is getting ridiculous. Whatever about targeting racist/xenophobic etc material online, it looks like you can't do anything that might offend people at large on facebook (in the UK anyway)

Death and Taxes

Totally fúcking OTT.
So much for the democratic right to freedom of expression.:mad:

Zebra3

ScienceNerd wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/teen-accused-of-posting-picture-of-burning-poppy-arrested-573953.html



This is getting ridiculous. Whatever about targeting racist/xenophobic etc material online, it looks like you can't do anything that might offend people at large on facebook (in the UK anyway)

Yet it's ok for politicans to stand up on the internet and proposing bombing Iran. :rolleyes:

kylith

The UK police really, really need to stop taking tips on policing from the Taliban.

...calculated and deliberate” insult to the dead ...

How the fudge can you insult the dead? They're dead, ffs, they don't get offended at anything.

LordSutch

In fairness, the teenager was a total dick for going to the trouble of posting the image of a burning poppy on Remembrance Sunday, of all days.

wes

So much for free speech in the UK. Not the first time something like this has happened. There was another lad who said some in fairness really nasty stuff about British soldiers, who was up in court over it. Just goes to show that even in some parts of Europe, we don't really have free speech.

Shzm

Wow, I completely read that as 'burning puppy'.

Poor puppy

suicide_circus

Terrorists: 1
Moderate free democratic society: 0

Death and Taxes

LordSutch wrote: »

In fairness, the teenager was a total dick for going to the trouble of posting the image of a burning poppy on remembrance Sunday, of all days.

Blair was a total dick for starting an illegal war, how come he wasn't arrested!

GLaDOS

LordSutch wrote: »

In fairness, the teenager was a total dick for going to the trouble of posting the image of a burning poppy on remembrance Sunday, of all days.

Oh definitely, but being a dick should not be something to be arrested for.

Ottway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPcjm-X5GQ

roughneck

If the same law applied here ,we could get done for drowning the shamrock :

leggo

Freedom of speech is an idea that people believe exists thanks to watching American movies (and spending too much time on Reddit). We don't have a first amendment to our constitution in Ireland, the UK or Europe. It's not a 'thing' here.

That said, it's still pretty ****ing harsh.

Death and Taxes

Seems the British have decided to align their tolerance levels to those of the great friends Saudi Arabia and Bahrain!

krudler

LordSutch wrote: »

In fairness, the teenager was a total dick for going to the trouble of posting the image of a burning poppy on Remembrance Sunday, of all days.

Being a dick is an arrestable offence now?

GRMA

Lads were arrested in the north for that last year. Burning it is a perfectly mine political statement, wouldn't do it myself.

Itsdacraic

since when did the boards mods grt appointed to the UK police force?

ArmaniJeanss

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Totally fúcking OTT.
democratic right to freedom of expression.:mad:

wes wrote: »

So much for free speech in the UK. Just goes to show that even in some parts of Europe, we don't really have free speech.

Free Speech would be not wearing a poppy, or starting a blog or perhaps uploading a youtube clip explaining why he feels poppy wearing (or remembrance day itself ) is wrong.

Free speech is not being filmed burning a poppy on November 11th whilst calling members of the armed forces 'squaddie cnuts'.

I'll defend the rights of the former to the death, whilst happily seeing the latter up in court.

Gbear

LordSutch wrote: »

In fairness, the teenager was a total dick for going to the trouble of posting the image of a burning poppy on Remembrance Sunday, of all days.

Cry me a ****ing river.


People seriously need to grow a pair.
The UK are starting to treat their citizens like children.
"Boohoo I'm offended! Mammy Government!".

AllGunsBlazing

In other news: James McClean to be imprisoned in the tower of London.

Big Bottom

Disgracefully inconsiderate thing to do.

A few days in a cell might show him not to be so uncaring in the future.

Zebra3

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Free speech is not being filmed burning a poppy on November 11th whilst calling members of the armed forces 'squaddie cnuts'.

Not any more. :mad:

Why should people have the right to label child killers as c****?

Will you get arrested for calling the Taliban c**** on the internet?

martomcg

Burning things has been a statement of political activism since its beginnings. By starting down this route the UK government is setting a dangerous precedent.

Figures released from Google show a disturbing amount of requests of censorship of "anti-patriotic" material from the UK government last year.

Wonder if i did the same and burned a poppy here in Ireland would i have been called in for questioning?

wes

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Free Speech would be not wearing a poppy, or starting a blog or perhaps uploading a youtube clip explaining why he feels poppy wearing (or remembrance day itself ) is wrong.

Free speech is not being filmed burning a poppy on November 11th whilst calling members of the armed forces 'squaddie cnuts'.

I'll defend the rights of the former to the death, whilst happily seeing the latter up in court.

Yes, what he did was free speech actually. Now if your against free speech, then fair enough. Your perfectly entitled to that position, but to pretend that you are for free speech, and that what this guy was doing wasn't free speech is utter nonsense.

Don't get me wrong, it was a nasty thing to do, but arresting the kid is simple and utter stupidity.

Death and Taxes

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Free Speech would be not wearing a poppy, or starting a blog or perhaps uploading a youtube clip explaining why he feels poppy wearing (or remembrance day itself ) is wrong.

Free speech is not being filmed burning a poppy on November 11th whilst calling members of the armed forces 'squaddie cnuts'.

I'll defend the rights of the former to the death, whilst happily seeing the latter up in court.

Get back to me when you have googled "Freedom of Expression".
Even in the USA it is legal to burn the stars and stripes ffs!
The idea that a wholly peaceful act of protest, that had no racist overtones, no call to arms or violence could be a prosecutable offence in a supposedly modern western European democracy is beyond comprehension.
Like I said more like something one would expect of Britains great allies, the Saudis and Bahrainis.

AllGunsBlazing

Big Bottom wrote: »

Disgracefully inconsiderate thing to do.

A few days in a cell might show him not to be so uncaring in the future.

Yeah, fúck all that murder and robbery stuff. Lets stuff prisons full of flower burners instead!

ahnowbrowncow

Big Bottom wrote: »

Disgracefully inconsiderate thing to do.

A few days in a cell might show him not to be so uncaring in the future.

So being inconsiderate is a criminal offence now? :rolleyes:

Death and Taxes

Big Bottom wrote: »

Disgracefully inconsiderate thing to do.

A few days in a cell might show him not to be so uncaring in the future.

Forgive me, but I have more inconsiderate things on opening day of the Christmas sales, since when has being uncaring and inconsiderate been a crime?
If it is then we need a lot more prisons!

Amirani

Big Bottom wrote: »

Disgracefully inconsiderate thing to do.

A few days in a cell might show him not to be so uncaring in the future.

There shouldn't be an obligation to pander to people's "cares" towards a rotten and imperialistic military culture that is responsible for the deaths of millions of people. The UK has degenerated into a police state that would be more appropriatly located in the places they're fighting wars than in Western Europe.

conorhal

ScienceNerd wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/teen-accused-of-posting-picture-of-burning-poppy-arrested-573953.html



This is getting ridiculous. Whatever about targeting racist/xenophobic etc material online, it looks like you can't do anything that might offend people at large on facebook (in the UK anyway)

What's really hilarious is that they're releasing Abu Qatada today because they can't deport a wanted terrorist! So it would appear that in the UK you can plan a murderous bombing campaign and sit pretty, but burn a paper poppy......

Madam_X

leggo wrote: »

Freedom of speech is an idea that people believe exists thanks to watching American movies (and spending too much time on Reddit). We don't have a first amendment to our constitution in Ireland, the UK or Europe. It's not a 'thing' here.

Yup, doesn't exist here and in the UK - yet there are constant constant teenage cries of "free thpeech!"
This case is still a complete joke though.