Protesters charged

[Sapphire387]

A woman has apparently been charged for a 'breach of the peace' for holding up a sign that read 'fuck imperialism, abolish the monarchy'. A man has been charged with the same, for shouting at Andrew and calling him 'a sick old man'.

AIBU to find this deeply concerning and an attack on freedom of speech?

Whether pro or anti-monarchy, I think we should all be allowed to express our views on this.

YABU - they should have been charged.
YANBU - they should not have been charged.

Absolutely. Inappropriate isn't illegal, and just cos you're offended doesn't mean you're right.

Funny that, because I think it's pretty sinister to use a period of mourning, in which to do it.

The bigger picture of...arresting people for expressing controversial views in public?

The fact is that we live in a democracy. People have the right to say controversial views in public, so long as they aren't inciting violence.

It's not lawful for people to be arrested for saying publicly about CM, "Who elected him".

I'm really sorry to break all this to you, I feel like I'm ruining your day.

I find the whole concept of "hate speech" rather Orwellian. Who is to say what is hateful? You only need to look at the recent visits by police to tell people to "check their thinking" to see where this ends up. Sadly this country seems to be going down a very scary road and it doesn't help that confidence in the police seems to be at an all time low.

I'm really sorry to break this to you, but the public order/hate speech/ laws don't just cover the areas that you believe in. As I said, let's wait for the wrongful arrest claims shall we?

I thought the prevailing narrative on MN is there is Freedom of Speach but not freedon of consequence?

This is the SNP introduced law, there wasn't much uproar when it was introduced..

He wasn’t arrested. He was taken into custody and then released.

Just seen online a foodbank will close on the 19th, as will cinemas except to broadcast the funeral for free. Who knew, our closest cousin isn't Macron after all but Kim.

Funny that, because I think it's pretty sinister to use a period of mourning, in which to do it.

I think there a clear and obvious difference between the mourning events going on - which are clearly more than just the funeral- and events that are passing on crown/imposing a new head of state.

If someone had taken against my Granny, and was outside the church shouting about hating her etc I’d want them arrested for breach of the peace or something similar.

You need to look up the laws on public order and hate speech before relying on them. I.e, the test for "hate speech" isn't "I hate what that guy said."

The police complaints are already underway. I'm really sorry.

This. It's not like any other HoS dying. The status immediately passes to the heir.

This is exactly the time to protest.

I think they're dickheads choosing to protest at that time and place but being a dickhead is not a crime.

Which means they’ll probably be taken away but not charged

Yes a key difference there would be that, say, your dad was not concurrently helping himself to a country at the same moment.

But otherwise, totally analogous!

Police complaints will be a formality. That's different to bringing a case to court and winning it. I'm not sure why you keep apologising.

I’m amused here by the fact that people don’t appear to know the British constitution. Please read it then comment

So, is harassment legal then? I can just go out and start repeatedly shouting at the next OAP I see calling them a “sick old man” and “disgusting” over and over again? Would you like to go to your town centre and give that a go in front of a few police officers? Test that theory.

The level of ignorance on both law and Royal protocol is astounding. Helping oneself to a country😂

Absolutely. I made exactly this point about the 'check your thinking' incident on a separate thread. Also the arrests and charges made following the Sarah Everard vigil, when it was the draconian and completely excessive COVID restrictions practically placing us all under house arrest which led to that awful tragedy in the first place.

No wonder trust in the police is at an all time low. Or that proclaiming a woman is an 'adult human female' can be deemed hate speech and your name entered on a list of naughty people, without your knowledge and when you've been found guilty of no criminal offence whatsoever.

The performative mourning is an aside, but those bleating about 'respect for her Maj' and 'neither the time nor the place' are missing the very serious point the OP was making.

It's sinister.

Stating that you do not believe in the monarchy as the #notmyking person did, absolutely does not incite violence or disorder.

The woman wearing the straw hat holding that sign wasn't arrested, she was simply asked to move on.

A woman has apparently been charged for a 'breach of the peace' for holding up a sign that read 'fk imperialism, abolish the monarchy'.

Reported here;
The sign is not understood to be the reason for her arrest.

www.joe.co.uk/news/woman-with-abolish-monarchy-sign-charged-358409

Um yeah, remember how people are actually protesting the proclamation of an unqualified man as Head of state? That small detail?

He is now head of state. Do you think he's the best person to be in that role?

Who decides whether he is qualified or not? It's certainly not you. Enough of trying to reason with the unreasonable.

Since the UK doesn't have a written constitution, that might be tricky.