Carolyn Farrow taken to police station

This kind of thing is terrifying. Those who are saying ‘but she’s right wing!’ etc- that is not a legally punishable offence. Who gets to decide what all the morally correct points of view are? What if a police officer took a dislike to your political opinions?

We live in a democracy. We do not (supposedly) live in a police state.

bullies pick off the weak, those with no support

If there is any whiff of 'it's OK to do it to this person, they're fair game', that person gets a target painted on them

whatever Caroline thinks about anything, the police shouldn't be visiting her house and harassing her about some ridiculous internet meme

It's not OK to do that to anyone

This.

SnapeAlways

Warrants are carried out when police need to enter an address to search for evidence (different to warrants of arrest). If the Officers felt there was enough evidence to arrest someone, then a Judge or Inspector is not going to authorise a warrant as the officers can use their powers of search under Section 32 of PACE to do a search during the time they make the arrest.

Searching people (I presume this was done in custody if your socks were searched and not a strip search or intimate search) is mandatory for all persons when they are brought to custody and put in a cell for any length of time where not all people can be monitored. I appreciate it may feel degrading, but there cannot be any exceptions. People arrested will bring all sorts of things into custody with them like drugs, weapons, items to hurt themselves etc..and all of these have been done. There is a duty of care to look after people while in custody.

bullies pick off the weak, those with no support

If there is any whiff of 'it's OK to do it to this person, they're fair game', that person gets a target painted on them

whatever Caroline thinks about anything, the police shouldn't be visiting her house and harassing her about some ridiculous internet meme

It's not OK to do that to anyone

I'm sorry this happened to you Caroline

I hope you are okay Caroline. 💐I am sick of the police in this country. What a disgusting way to treat a mum in front of her children. Doesn't seem to be much evidence as well. Why are the police pandering to the person who can't be named? No rapes or assaults to be investigating?

Capable of understanding that the end of WW2 came to conclusions on equality of treatment for all, including the ones you dislike. Even for the ones Not Like You.

Where have I said she shouldn't be treated equally? Where have I said that what happened to her is fair? You are assuming that because I think she's homophobic that I somehow think what happened is fine and dandy, I've never once argued that. I just replied to a poster who said she is anti gay marriage and then other people responded so I responded back.

with all the hate the sin/love the sinner shit an all?
Honesty, I've never much understood how that works

Well no. Why would you understand how that works if you're not interested in theology?

I'm just over all the nonsense. The police don't work for vexatious complainers. We need to do everything we can to both protect ourselves, hold those to account who are responsible and remind the police of the law and their role.

I'm still toying with the idea of a petition on the parliament website too.

Oh ffs.

I'm gay. Quite honestly not going to cry or meltdown or disintegrate, or dislike them, or judge them, or insist that someone is dehumanised because they have a problem with homosexuality. I'm going to shrug and go on my way.

Because I'm a bloody adult.

Capable of understanding that the end of WW2 came to conclusions on equality of treatment for all, including the ones you dislike. Even for the ones Not Like You. Even the ones with different colour, creed, name, class, sexuality, race, ability, even the absolute worst of criminals, for the very specific reason that this makes the dehumanisation that genocide and slavery is based on, impossible.

The police are arresting with political partiality - just try getting them to rush around to an intruder or a car theft, or like a local elderly man in my area beaten up by a mugger, left bleeding on the pavement, and three days later a copper hadn't shown up. But a meme? That's 'offensive'? (And you can freely threaten to rape and kill women, that's fine, there's only ONE group who get this kind of hyperactive policing and it's very, very bleeding obvious.)

How much exactly was wasted chasing THAT up? What crimes and calls went unanswered that day in order for this to happen?

But obviously what really matters in all this is dissing gay penguins.

you seem pretty determined to paint Caroline as unhinged. Please stop it.

how the fuck does using "flipped out" equate to "unhinged?". It just means she got angry about it. It's quite a common phrase, it doesn't at all mean someone is unhinged.

Harassment

No, I don't think calling someone homophobic for their beliefs is harassment. If it is feel free to report me.

I said one thing in response to the anti gay marriage poster, and then others responded to me and asked questions, so if course I then replied back, that's how it works

In the context of the police allowing themselves to be used as a tool to harass someone's political opponents, I don't give a flying fuck what Caroline Farrow believes.

The issue for me is that the police should not allow themselves to be used for political purposes. They are supposed to police without fear or favour and they are consistently failing to do this in the woke wars. They need to be politically neutral and stop being used as useful idiots by a sinister group of men's rights activiists.

Seconded! Thanks all 🙂

Brilliant, thanks for doing that! And well done, MNHQ.

‘Flipped out’

you seem pretty determined to paint Caroline as unhinged. Please stop it.

Is this really the time and place for a theological disquisition? It's irrelevant. Stick to the facts. A woman has been targeted by a TRA who has managed to get the police to take part in the harrassment. Our only questions should be: what can we do to support her and to stop this happening to other women?

This is to @XSnoe

She flipped out about there being gay penguins at London zoo fgs, but yes I'm sure she's lovely really and would obviously say she doesn't hate gays. 🙄

And you don’t think picking at her legally protected religious beliefs on a thread created to support her at a shitty time is harassment?

Just popping back to say MNHQ have said they'll look into a webchat with a KC (thanks for the correction!) about our rights if we are stopped by police, a police officer turns up our doorstep, etc.
Also our rights concerning vexatious litigants and targeted harassment.
I've asked for a focus on how the law around arrests/cautions/charges, etc, affects women eg childcare, search rights, weaponising MH or vulnerabilities, etc. Also how the law varies across the different parts of the UK. And the rights we have when making complaints to the police and about the police.
I think a webchat would be a good format because it means all the gfs and trolls can't derail it.

So, you are not going to take the opportunity to ask Caroline about what she actually believes? You are just going to tell us what she believes without any context or nuance.

Good to know you are not prepared to ask the person you are maligning when you have the chance.

It’s not in good faith, don’t worry. I’d ignore it. No one other than the lunatic fringe (TRAs) believes that your right not to be harassed by the police is contingent on you having opinions they agree with.

Well, it's a good thing I'm not a TRA and that I don't believe her right not to be harassed by the police is contingent on her having opinions I agree with, isn't it? Because one, I believe women are AHFs, and two, I have never said I agree with her bring harassed.

Get your chap to take it up with the pope, eh?

Sorry, are you talking about Caroline?

Then just say, Caroline, and ask your question. And maybe, just maybe you will get an instant answer.

Magic, isn 't it?

Rather than guessing her opinions....

I am too tired to go theological but I’m really sorry if people have this impression

It’s not in good faith, don’t worry. I’d ignore it. No one other than the lunatic fringe (TRAs) believes that your right not to be harassed by the police is contingent on you having opinions they agree with.

I’m furious about what happened to you. I hope you get justice and the cops get disciplined.

Exactly.

The point isn’t whether the beliefs a person holds are good, bad or indifferent. The point is that anyone with half a brain should not agitate to live in a society where groups of people can be demonised and persecuted for having a certain set of characteristics or political or religious beliefs. Because that always ends badly!

It does mean I recently found myself sticking up for Toby Young, which made my head spin because I’ve no time for him at all. But I don’t want to live in a Black Mirror world where your ability to access basic goods and services is contingent upon your beliefs. I’m amazed by the amount of people who do, honestly.