UK Men Arrested For Anti-Semitic Tweets After Football Game 598
magic maverick writes "Reuters reports that three men were arrested for posting anti-Semitic comments on Twitter following the English Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United in October, police said on Friday. 'Two men, aged 22 and 24, were arrested on Thursday in London and in Wiltshire, while a 48-year-old man was arrested at his home in Canning Town in London last week on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. The investigation following the match on October 6 was triggered by complaints about tweets that referred to Hitler and the gas chambers.'
I guess it goes to show, you'd be stupid to use your real name or identifying details on Twitter. Perhaps the British should also work on reforming their laws on free speech (or lack thereof)."
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Laws alone don't prevent arrest (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps the British should also work on reforming their laws on free speech (or lack thereof)."
You could be arrested for the same activity in the US under the 18 USC 245 -- Federally protected activities, act. There is the first amendment, but there is some separation between constitutional theory, and law enforcement fact. You might or might not ultimately prevail incourt.
Re:Laws alone don't prevent arrest (Score:2, Interesting)
Not applicable. These guys tweeted something that is supposed to be so racist that they were all arrested. That doesn't do the thing you said- they weren't screaming at a stadium or anything. Also note that one of the teams is closely associated with Jews for some reason that I guess makes sense if you are British, so these guys were probably not REALLY saying anything more than "fuck the Raiders".
Posted by a typical American? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Posted by a typical American? (Score:5, Interesting)
isn't it a bit pretentious for somebody not a citizen or residing within a given country to tell them they need to work at making their laws more like your own?
I don't think so. Criticizing someone when you think they're doing something wrong is perfectly acceptable to me. A country isn't immune from criticism just because you don't live in it.
Re:Perhaps not (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Perhaps not (Score:2, Interesting)
But, if their viewpoint has no basis in fact, and is fed by ignorance, and is in every provable way either stupid or misinformed, do we not improve society in some way by preventing their speech?
Jenny McCarthy, who threatened herd immunity, should we not stop her hate speech?
Global warming deniers, do they not pose a threat to the entire earth?
Am I not more civilized, for having recognized dispassionately which side is obviously correct, and silencing opponents of either truth or rationality?
Have we no obligation to take sides?
Re:Nothing comvinces the haters they're right (Score:4, Interesting)
Nah. If they're ordered to shut up they'll just decide it's because they were telling some sort of uncomfortable truth and then they'll play on the whole oppression thing.
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)