shocked so many people think this is ok? Arrest of man who set fire to poppy!

[AlphaBeta82]

don't get me wrong he is an obnoxious, unpatriotic, idiot, but too call this an arrestable offence really concerns me. Have we lost that much of free speech in this country that if someone disagrees (on a personal social networking page!) with one of our traditions we throw them in jail. what happened to freedom of speech.

I am not defending his actions in the slightest, but it does concern me that this is what our country has come too!

[GrimAndHumourless]

link please

[Fakebook]

Does this same news story come out every year about someone setting fire to a po

[Fakebook]

Poppy, because I distinctly remember it from last year and the year before.

[MrsRhettButler]

Link? I've not seen the story but from what you say, no, I wouldn't call it an arrestable offence. What were the circumstances? What was he charged with?

[SoupDragon]

That depends if someone was wearing it at the time.

[Viperidae]

I think there is a difference between free speech and making an inflammatory gesture (if you'll excuse the pun!) It is one thing to say "I don't approve of poppies" and quite another to set fire to one.

There has to be an element of respect for the opinions of others for free speech to work.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Police can't just arrest someone 'for burning a poppy'.

It's not a crime. He will have been arrested because of an actual or suspected crime that is written in law, not just made up by some shit stirrer.

[Blu]

And to think that many of those who died in WW2 did so in the cause of freedom.

Disgraceful.

[GrimAndHumourless]

I would imagine the obscenities rather than the image prompted arrest

Neat spin you put on this, OP

[ihavenofuckingclue]

I think its actually to do with him putting it on line. found this link

[ihavenofuckingclue]

x posted.

[Blu]

How can it be an offence to set fire to a bit of red paper and some plastic?
Whatever it symbolises.
It should be legal to publish what you like in a book (as long as no-one is untruthfully defamed) and it should be legal to burn a book which is print on paper, whatever it contains. If you must thus demonstrate your benighted ignorance.

The true test of the freedom of speech is when granted to those we do not agree with or consider illiberal.

But without that freedom it is no freedom at all.

[OatyBeatie]

we'd all be arrested if it was the obsenities that caused him to be detained! He was arrested for "malicious communication" and it is widely reported that it was the burning poppy image that he was arrested for -- no spin from OP. There is widespread shock and disapproval about the arrest. I really hope that Keir Starmer's review puts an end to these sorts of abuses of the malicious communication legislation.

[Blu]

True, we don't know what he said.

Harrassing and threatening individuals online is and should be illegal, likewise defamation etc - but burning, or criticising poppies as a symbol?

[LauriesFairyonthetreeeatsCake]

I don't think anyone should be arrested for talking/posting arse on Facebook at all.

There are always going to be weirdos, it's up to the others to delete them and ignore.

Their oxygen is attention, deprive them of it and they disappear.

[AlphaBeta82]

Thanks Oaty, as you say it is not me 'putting a spin' on it, this is how it is being reported. It just worries me the lack of boundaries and understanding to such statements as 'malicious communications'! Like someone said above people should just read a page of MNet and we'd all have the book thrown at us if this is anything to go by.

Once again I do not defend him or his comments but I don't think an arrest was right!

[GrimAndHumourless]

I draw attention to the mention of 'offensive comment' in the Indi link

[LynetteScavo]

He was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.

I didn't know there was such an act, but it sounds pretty broad and open to abuse.

[Bilbobagginstummy]

I think it should be an offence to set fire to stuff in public without taking fire safety precautions. It's a pretty offensive way to behave.

[AlphaBeta82]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2231660/Free-speech-row-man-ARRESTED-posting-image-burning-Poppy-Facebook-page-Remembrance-Sunday.html

Don't like the daily mail but knew i could rely on them to post the comment as well!! I don't the comment warrants the arrest either. Just scares me that this is what our country is coming too!!

[socharlotte]

he has been arrested under the malicious Communications Act.An act that needs reviewing, it seriously undermines freedom of speech.

[mercibucket]

Agree with you, op, it is very worrying and that law needs amending pronto