Peter Tatchell Arrested - Outrageous

It's outrageous that he's allowed to use his voice to promote paedophilia, when women are arrested for defending their rights and stating facts. Totally unsavoury character.

But he was also released and apologised to do it's not like he's still being held that might be a different matter.

He knows what happens at protests, he knows what causes ructions, he revels in making causes all about him. It's really hard to be sympathetic in his case for that alone with or without his other views

I think it is interesting that this is what the police found offensive, not any of the other offensive things he has done and said.

I can agree with most of us whilst believing that it is a real shame that the police are not protecting people's rights to express legally held views, whilst ignoring threats of violence. In an ideal world the police would be actively protecting our legal rights, and not pandering to those who make violent threats.

I’m worried how many people support someone being arrested and held for something that is not, and should not be, a crime, because they dislike or disagree with him on other grounds.

Especially when that thing is non-violent protest against Hamas.

The right here basically is not to be arrested for expressing a view that the police think a crowd might dislike. If we concede that, we have a police state.

He doesn’t share your opinion and his “passion” for human rights is mighty selective in who he wants promoted and who he wants persecuted.

I also remember him from the Bermondsey election and many, many other times. He was atrociously treated, just like every other candidate who was identified as gay or lesbian. To read or hear him in interviews or at events afterwards it was all about him, the treatment meted out to others (remember Linda Bellos?) barely got a mention.

As pp say - he is a lifelong publicity protestor, he knows exactly what will get him arrested and what won’t. I‘ve heard vast amounts of his version of this story on every media outlet, I’d like to hear some of the other views from people around him at the event. I would expect to see a new book or speaking tour from him imminently which just happens to coincide with his latest experience of MC white male oppression

Incidentally, the citation according to reports was for “racially and religiously aggravated breach of the peace” which usually equates to trying to provoke a reaction within a protest rather than the actual peaceful protest.

PT wouldn't be the only public figure serving time for that.

It beggars belief that gay men fought long and hard to get the paedophile tag removed from homosexuality. Yet awful blokes like PT and even a few other public figures are quite happy to tie it back on again and no one does anything to these people. Ugh.

As for this being a goady thread I agree but it feels good to have a dig at some of our public figures for their hateful views.

Members of the various governments we've had, male and female, had ties with P.I.E as well, it's incredible the reach these people have.

I posted originally, assuming that Tatchell had turned out to support Hamas and then checked what he'd been arrested for. Now I see he was arrested for criticising Hamas. Never thought I'd say good for him, but good for him.

The reason he's not generally trusted to be on the right side of history is his advocacy of sex with minors and his support for any bloke in a leopard-skin mini skirt who says he's a woman. Here he is supporting a drunken Fred Wallace at an infamous debate at the Institute of Ideas, where Fred behaved appallingly to Helen Joyce:

I doubt very much that they would have objected to PT's presence had he omitted the bottom half of his placard.

I'm sure the bottom half of his placard didn't help but even without it I could easily imagine a general 'fuck off Peter' vibe. Loads of groups and causes he tries to latch himself onto are getting wise to him and want nothing to do with him.

Free Palestine, don't free PT! He's a freak and should be arrested for his other views, not for this incident

This. He's vile.

You seem extraordinarily set upon defending his idiotic actions. Why?

I do not agree with Israel's actions in Gaza. I do not agree with Hamas or anyone who supports them. But I am also unwilling to idiotically insist on standing in a place where I might just get my head kicked in, especially after being told to move by the police because I am potentially putting public order at risk, which is not just risking my own safety but the safety of lots of other people - including the police. He was deliberately going out of his way to be goady and to provoke an argument.

I am no fan of the police, but ffs I would not want to be in their shoes trying to stand in the middle between protesters/ counter-protesters when there are inflamed tempers and anger on both sides. It isn't their job to decide decide what is justifiable comment / anger and what isn't. It is to keep the peace in bloody difficult circumstances. And if somebody is deliberately refusing to obey a reasonable instruction - "go stand over there" - in order to inflame those tempers even more, then they should be arrested.

He was not arrested for his views. He was arrested because he, and others, were at risk because he refused to leave a group of protesters who did not agree with him. He was welcome to go and stand with his placard elsewhere. He was told that. And he refused.

You can have no sympathy for him whilst still wishing - for the benefit of everyone - that the police uphold people's human rights and only arrest them if they suspect them of committing a crime (or rather "reasonably" suspect).

Came on to say this.

And children's...

So?

Makes a rare change from the bleating of 'but what about the men?' that permeates this site.

Because he’s known to be a self-serving, attention seeking troublemaker not needed at such a contentious event.
Concerns were raised-valid requests were made. As always he pushed back & was thus rightfully detained.
It’s the equivalent of inviting Andrew Tate to join a crowd of Suffragettes.

Breach of the peace (regardless of what he or his placard stated) arrest happened becsuse he breached the peace- I am unclear what you find wrong here.

Disclaimer: I am no fan of the Met in their current form, but you must acknowledge the unenviable task they have at these protests surely?

Tell that to Caroline Farrow.

Trouble is, if it's a woman and especially one who can be 'aligned' with social conservatism, nobody gives a tin shit.

Can’t squeeze out a tear for this nasty little creature. I give as much of a fuck about his rights as he does about women’s.

If that stickering was on someone elses property and they made a complaint of criminal damage then it needs to be investigated, especially if the crime is suspected of being currently in progress - if that means detaining a suspect for 10 hours while investigation takes place I'm okay with that. There is a limit on how long someone can be detained under such circumstances and I am fine with that limit.

However, I wasn't aware that Peter Tatchell was put in prison for 5 hours over this - that is something else entirely. I believed he was detained while questioned and an investigation took place. If he was indeed put in prison for 5 hours without having first been charged and convicted in a court of law then it should go without saying that is abhorrent.

This may be the case.

But as many pointed out early inbthis thread, there’s more to it.

PT was asked by police to leave one area to join a different crowd. He failed to follow these instructions, returning to the initial crowd and was arrested.

Political views wherher at a protest lawfully or not, this was guaranteed to get him arrested. Can you imagine what it’s actually like to mamage and police these events with all happening in the world?

It wasn’t his placard that got him arrested, it was perpetual need for attention and a platform, along with the belief that the law doesn’t apply to him.

Hopefully they find something that’ll stick better next time!

Fuck PT and the horse he rode in on. I hope he's having a god awful time.

😁

I'd seriously love that (only have mince though)

No inconsistency at all.

He was free to express his views. After the pro Palestine protestors (the organisers no less) protested about his presence in the protest the police believing him to be a counter protestor directed him, with his placards in tow, to the counter protest.

As simple as that.

Clear as bleedin day.

He then rejoined the protest and the police arrested him "on suspicion of breaching the conditions in place and to prevent a breach of the peace."

The issue, or who the "outrage" should be aimed at, was the organisers of the protest, those who protested about his presence among them for holding an anti Hamas placard.

His views I endorse wholly, both on the crimes committed by Israel, and the crimes committed by Hamas, but having both views was too much for the pro Palestine organisers of the protest to take so they got him removed.