Man arrested after online rant against Liverpool and Hillsborough disaster victims

reply to post by Grimpachi


Fair enough, you have to remember he hasn't been charged though so it might end up as a protective arrest or an overzealous officer or anything else yet.

I know there have been cases of people being arrested because of comments regarding UK armed forces on Facebook.

However if similar comments were made regarding Afghans then the vast majority would not bat an eyelid. For those with mobiles I'm sure you've all received at some point or been told a so called "joke" which is usually disgustingly racist or bigoted.

reply to post by Dispo


I do not believe we even have such a thing as protective arrest. People have been taken into protective custody but it has to be with their permission.

reply to post by Kram09


Technically we're not on a slippery slope or anything like that, there is no "one day" as we're already there.

Ask your friendly neighbourhood PCSO tomorrow about section 5 of the public order act. It basically means that you can be arrested for causing or possibly causing offence to any member of the public. You can be arrested for farting in a lift.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by bates


He got arrested for that? LMAO, so long free speech. What's funny is YT keeps the video up but yet he's behind bars....

reply to post by Grimpachi


If, as other people are saying he was truly nuts, which to be fair does look possible but I don't like saying about people:
www.mentalhealthwales.net...

There are occasions when the Police may act if they believe that someone is suffering from a mental illness and is in need of immediate treatment or care. Their powers for such occasions are set out in Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. This gives them the authority to take a person from a public place to a “Place of Safety”, either for their own protection or for the protection of others, so that their immediate needs can be properly assessed.

reply to post by Kram09


The whole 'lottery' aspect of this is what is so worrying, it really does seem to boil down to who you offend.

If you offend the right people than you're safe.

If you offend the wrong people than you'd better get yourself a good lawyer and cross your fingers.

There is no consistency any more.

This guys biggest 'crime' seems to be going against local public opinion when it comes to a tragic event (hillsborough). Are we really now saying that thinking and publicly expressing a defferent opinion is a criminal offence?

Will people who don't believe the official stories behind 9/11, 7/7, the madrid train bombings etc etc all soon be arrested because of the offence it causes to the victims?

Will it be a hate crime to move away from what the government tells us has happened?

Originally posted by crazyewok

Originally posted by oper8zhin

The folks in the UK just DONT GET IT!!!!!!!

First their Right to defend themselves and their homes were TAKEN from them. Now their Right to speak their MINDS are being taken from them. And all the while, THEY HAVE THE FLIPPIN' AUDACITY to come on here and insult Americans who stand up for OUR RIGHT here in our country!!

I have never seen a more foolish people on the entire planet then those in the UK.

An unbelievably ignorant and blind people who just will NEVER see what is going on against them until they are reduced to being forced to live in a locked cage that is under constant surveillance.

Yeah but we have the right to a fair trial. You idoits gave that right away in your patriot act so

Lets not pretend the American people had anything to do with the US Govt allowing itself to spy on its citizens. The American people had NO say in that matter & that's just 1 very reason why all of Washington DC should be fired. All of them, but of course they won't & that's because they can do Anything they want and there is Nothing we can do about it.

The US & the UK equally Suck, thanks to our Corrupt & Evil Govt.

Well if this is the case, perhaps when the next round of austerity hits the UK and when all the university students / common men and women take to the streets and start saying something "negative" towards the government perhaps they all should be thrown in jail. Would you like that?

Being a massive idiot and saying something stupid shouldn't throw you in jail.

Originally posted by Merinda
On what grounds has he been arrested? Did he make some kind of threat?

If you watch the video you could say its borderline threatening.

This is being turned into a freedom of speech issue, and if he had just ranted without threatening, it would be. But, that video is not quite like that, for the man in it is behaving as if he is extremely unbalanced, not just angry, paranoid, blaming others, the whole city for an employer prospect telling him others have said he's nuts. He's a possible threat to himself and others and this isn't really a "new" thing, arresting him, anyone at any time who acted out in a way that seems paranoid and borderline unbalanced exploding very loudly when he says, they're just lucky he use a gun. In the 80's he would have been hauled off, at least in Canada.

Just on his words, no, even words that disturb others have to tolerated for freedom of speech, but there is a danger zone, and that falls into mental health and risks, "a danger to self and others", that is the category where people are assessed. I believe he rightfully fell under that one.

Also, there is the slim possibility he is acting and this is a set up. It seems odd actually, "at this time of all times" but not necessarily.

Originally posted by Rising Against
Wow, I came into this thread expecting to see a lot of "well done's", and "thankfully this guy was arrested", but instead I see everyone thus far complaining about it? Seriously? Wow, how absolutely disgusting that is.

The Hillsborough disaster is called a disaster for a reason people. Period. 96 innocent people died that day when they shouldn't have. 96 families were punished in the most horrible way and millions of people even watched this incident take place live on television. It's something that's scarred many. And someone's actually ranting about it and being highly offensive to the victims, victims of which were blamed for their own deaths up until this year until the truth finally came out.

Yet, bearing this in mind, the fact that someone is offending those who wrongly died, some of which were yet to reach the age of 15, the offender is being defended right here on ATS. That actually makes me quite sad to be a member.

Well done for this moron being arrested. He can spew his hate in prison.

Edit: Sad thing is I'll probably be one of the only one's saying this too. But, it has to be said really. This is just pure hate speech from a pure moron. The fact some are defending it sickens me too.

edit on 30-12-2012 by Rising Against because: (no reason given)

Regardless of what this man said:

Botis Johnstone (Mayor Of London) said a lot worse; saying that they enjoyed having the disaster as it gives them an excuse to moan. The Sun ( newspaper) blamed the fans calling them drunks, louts and other disgusting names.

To my knowledge all the people police included perverted the course of Justice in collusion with the media to hide the facts and blame the fans.

After 20 years the truth came out.

So some guy makes a comment and gets arrested ?

What is the big deal?

He made libelous comments and has been arrested because of it. I wish it happened more than it does, frankly, the internet would be a much more hospitable place if there were real world consequences for your words.

You can't just go around saying whatever you want about whomever you want and expect it to not have consequences. He didn't just say "They got what they deserved" he said, "They got what they deserved BECAUSE THEY WERE DRUG ADDICTS." Calling someone a drug addict is libelous and a crime.

This is open and shut.

reply to post by DoYouEvenLift


Can you prove they were not drug addicts? Either way that is a fine line you want to impose and it isn’t the type of thing I want to see here.

Originally posted by destination now
reply to post by Dispo

 

In the west of Scotland where I live, he'd be lynched...but then again us Scots do like a good fight

How what did he say about Rangers

Originally posted by DoYouEvenLift
What is the big deal?

He made libelous comments and has been arrested because of it. I wish it happened more than it does, frankly, the internet would be a much more hospitable place if there were real world consequences for your words.

You can't just go around saying whatever you want about whomever you want and expect it to not have consequences. He didn't just say "They got what they deserved" he said, "They got what they deserved BECAUSE THEY WERE DRUG ADDICTS." Calling someone a drug addict is libelous and a crime.

This is open and shut.

OMG, are you serious?

He didn't even name a specific person or organisation. What a stretch. And I don't think you can get arrested for libel or slander, you can only get sued perhaps by the affected person or entity.

With your reasoning a big part of this site would be libelous and illegal.

What a load of hogwash.

This is such a waste of police time and money. Yea sure if it turns out he actually did say these things there is no doubt that they were offensive and disgusting, but illegal? I'm afraid not. How long until you can be arrested for making say a joke about something tragic? I know it sounds out of order, but think about it for a minute. Look at tv shows like the simpsons or south park. They make jokes about wars in the past, shootings, criminals even aids! If you make a joke about an incident that has a victim then the victims and their families are obviously going to be upset by it and I realise that this guy was not making a joke, but just having a hateful rant, but who's to say that making a joke about the same thing wont be deemed equally as offensive?

If this guy actually did this then he's just a disturbed idiot. Prison wont do him any good at all or anyone else any good for that matter, just waste time and money that should be used to tackle all the other crime going on in Liverpool (which there is a fair amount of I believe) We arn't defending him or saying that he isn't a moron for posting such a stupid rant, we're just saying that you should not be able to get arrested for something as trivial as this. If the police are given powers to arrest people for these kinds of things then what's to stop them from abusing the power and arresting anyone who says anything that they deem disruptive to the peace or offensive? Slag off the government? That's encouraging unrest they could say, make a joke about the second world war maybe? That's offensive to Mr and Mrs Goggins down the road who's Grandfather died in the war so 'maybe they lock you up for causing distress towards them. It wouldn't surprise me if this is how these powers would be used, this sort of thing that involves what people say can be very very subjective so then give the copper power to use his/her discretion then they can decide what you can and can't say.

Explanation: Uhmmm???

Here is directly why he was arrested ok ...

A police spokesman said: “Merseyside Police can confirm that a 25-year-old man has been arrested following reports about an offensive Facebook page that had been set up.

“The Force's high tech crime unit are investigating this report and enquiries were undertaken to identify the creator of the page.

“Following on from these enquiries, a 25-year-old man from Liverpool city centre was arrested on suspicion of committing an offence under the Communications Act 2003. He has been taken to a police station for questioning.

“Officers have contacted network administrators to notify them about the page and to request its removal.”



Read more: Liverpool Echo www.liverpoolecho.co.uk... -100252-32512531/#ixzz2GZQRuiN6

And here is the wiki on that act ... Communications Act 2003 [wiki]

The Communications Act 2003 had as its purpose to confer functions on the Office of Communications; to make provision about the regulation of the provision of electronic communications networks and services and of the use of the electromagnetic spectrum; to make provision about the regulation of broadcasting and of the provision of television and radio services; to make provision about mergers involving newspaper and other media enterprises and, in that connection, to amend the Enterprise Act 2002; and for connected purposes.

The Act introduced new offences for ‘Improper use of public electronic communications network’, ‘dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services’ (Section 125), ‘possession or supply of apparatus etc. for contravening’ (Section 126), among other information disclosure offences.

And the actual legislation ... Communications Act 2003 (c21) Table of Contents [legislation.gov.uk]

Personal Disclosure: I hope that this helps to quell any speculations as to why this person was incarcerated.

reply to post by Rising Against


What is the difference from your implied hatred for one man and the open hatred of another regardless of the situation? We all have a right to say what we feel and think even if other people don't care for it. To some it is rude or wrong, to some others its right and just fine. Neither opinion is right or wrong, even if you feel one way or the other. You condemning him is no better, you are him at the moment.

reply to post by DoYouEvenLift


That is ridiculous! You think calling someone a drug addict can get you arrested? Maybe is you followed someone around saying it to them, but that would be a for of harassment instead. If this was the case then people would be getting arrested constantly, think how many people make comments accusing politicians and just other people in general or everything from corruption to just insults in general.

people need to grow up, sticks and stones will break my bones but words will result in me suing you!!! People need to get thicker skin and not worry about what a single moron says. Who cares what some idiot thinks and says?!?

reply to post by destination now

Actually, you can call my family or myself anything you want, true or not, and I will defend your right to say it. I don't have to like it, and most likely wouldn't, but you still have a right to say it. What the hell is wrong with the world today? Growing up we were taught "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!"
We were taught to ignore the ignorant, not piss and moan because we don't like what they said. We have raised a world full of thin skinned whiners!