Mother hurling abuse on tram, do you think she should be arrested?

[himynameisfred]

Here is the video of it happening.

Do you think the police should respond?

Horrible woman and her son didnt even bat an eyelid some people are just ignorant and unfortunatley she isnt in the minority , which is sad

Go read the EDL facebook page and see that there are many who think like this and spew foul hatred. Its becoming more common :-(

This whole thing makes me so uncomfortable. For the record i found her views objectionable and ignorant in the extreme and i do think she was under the influence of something, be it drugs or alcohol or a mental health issue but that said, despite how wrong i think she is it makes me positively squirm to see people suggesting that she should be arrested or worse yet, have her children removed from her.

She has an opinion. From my point of view a wrong and stupid opinion. But one she is entitled to hold as a citizen of a free and tolerant society (oh the irony!). The video was excruciating viewing but from my memory of it she did not advocate violence against any of the minorities she was ranting against so i don't think she has breached the race hate laws (though if i overlooked a threat like that then i stand corrected and would support her being charged because that IS stepping over the line) but in the absence of the threat of physical violence I worry that the kind of heavy handed reaction many people (not just on this thread but on the others and in RL too) have advocated just contributes to the martyred feeling that people who hold these opinions often feel and that kind of Matrydom just drives poeple into the welcoming arms of Nick Griffin and the BNP or worse yet, the EDL.

Surely it is better that she be free to air her views and to have them challenged and condemned by the more fair minded member of society and not drive them underground for fear of prosecution? Sunlight surely must be the best disinfectant?

She has been arrested and charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and is to appear before magistrates next Monday.

Well done the person who filmed her and then posted it on youtube!

Not so concerned with what she said as she just looked, ugly, mad, ignorant and possible drunk or under the influence of something. Being charged with breach of the peace is fair enough as people shouldn't have to put with that ugliness.

I'm more concerned for her little boy and any other children she might have, really hate to think that this is how he is being brought up with this foul woman.

She is racist and prejudiced - pre-judging people on the basis of their skin colour and assuming superiority as a result. And she doesn't just have an opinion that she is keeping to herself, she is abusing complete strangers as a result, with no provocation other than they were near her.

It's a hell of a lot more than a wrong or stupid opinion.

Do you really think that's acceptable?

Everything that BluddyMoFo said.

Also agree that the majority do not hold these views, whatever nationality/colour they are and this is also not typical behaviour in London or Croydon.

agree that she is entitled to an opinion, whatever that may be

i would have been more annoyed that she was swearing at the top of her lungs and frightening the children than anything else

For everyone who is not concerned about WHAT she actually said; I am one of the Black people she is venting against. I have been in this sort of situation - more than once - where I have had to see this first hand it is intimidating, it is soul destroying it is extremely hurtful. Applause for all on the train for keeping their cool; last time it happened to me I ended up in tears and getting off at the next stop. Furthermore, I dread the day when my children will have to hear this (I have twins 7 months) so WHAT she said is an issue. It is inticing racial hatred; and if someone was as vulnerable as me the last time it happen to me I might have just "f*ed off" under a train.

entitled to an opinion does NOT equal entitled to verbally abuse people

Thank you beaten. Shocking enough to see this kind of behaviour, imagine how it feels to be on the receiving end then to hear that people arent really concerned by what she said....

look on the bright side, the entire country now know who she is.

Entitlement to an opinion goes both ways - my opinion is that people like her are ignorant moronic bigots who deserve everything they get.

You are of course, absolutely right. She is not entitled to verbally abuse people and i hate to think of someones children being on the receiving end of that kind of vitriol. It breaks my heart.

I don't have all the answers and don't pretend to but i really do worry that driving this kind of thinking underground, by arresting the speakers, we just add to the persecution complex that these people have and give them an even bigger chip on their shoulders.

Surely we must, all of us when we encounter this kind of thinking, condemn it and defend those it is aimed against. Isn't it a societal and community thing rather than a legal one?

Perhaps i am being hopelessly naive.

It makes me sad, tbh. I look at someone ranting and raving and trying to feel superior because they happened to be born with a certain string of DNA and think: how little you have to value in yourself if all there is is an accident of birth. She was just spouting whatever she thought would give her higher status on that tram. The fact she had to bellow about her supposed superiority says it all really. I think the other passengers dealt with her with dignity and it was blindingly clear who had the better life. I can't feel hate for her, just a sort of patronising pity.

Ok it's the first time i've seen that, it's a disgrace!! And oh my for the poor boy, he looks upset and that this is normal for him! Poor boy!

What will happen to her? I mean she's been arrested but what will they charge her with?

Legally I wonder if she has committed any offence. I mean she's been vile and her opinions are abhorrent but has she actually incited any racial hatred?

She's told people they should go home, she's said she thinks Britain is nothing because of immigrants. Whilst unpleasant, hardly inciting hatred.

Don't get me wrong, I think she's an idiot and I feel sorry for her child but if we start charging people for having an opinion we don't like then that's a very slippery slope. The price of freedom of speech is that sometimes we must listen to idiots spout shite.

I suspect once the press finish with her, she'll be more sorry than any slap on the wrists a court will give her.

Seething,

I'm disgusted by what she is saying and of course you shouldn't have to hear it, it's just in this case she seems so out of control, ridiculous and not very intelligent that I would just look at her and think 'what a foul idiot, she really is a sad case' and would find it difficult to take her almost incoherent rantings seriously. If anything I think it's idiots like this who are more likely to unite people of different races against racism.

I know that is easy for me to say as a white person who hasn't had to deal with the ugliness of racism in the way others have, I didn't mean to belittle your feelings, sorry.

So everyone should shout and swear in the street? Not in the society in which I want to live. That is not just having an opinion. Two things struck me - how her little boy barely flinched - was he indeed used to her ranting? Also how a lady hugged the poor incensed boy/man behind her. In general, it showed how reason triumphed in the face of foulness.

Any lawyers offer an opinion as to the likely success of the prosecution in the absence of any actual threats?