Police take down GC banners in case someone is offended

[Cynicaltheorist]

Just seen this on Twitter: women in South Wales put up banners on a number of bridges saying factual things like Transwomen are Women, and No Child Born in the Wrong Body and Woman is not a Feeling and the police have ripped them down on the basis that someone might be offended. The tweets go on to point out that GC views such as these are worthy of respect (Forstater and Bailey) and that no one has the right never to be offended by anything they see or hear. This is beginning to feel like a police state.

https://twitter.com/women_outspoken/status/1695086782994346018

Forgot to add that the link is to a video showing the police officer ripping down a banner and explaining why he's doing it.

https://twitter.com/visitlondon/status/1668615512799027202?s=20

And yet this isn't offensive?

Telling the truth is not offensive and where is the decisive action from the police when the gc of us are offended and much worse. Could go on but that is a basic summary of my feelings.

You say factual things like "transwomen are real women" do you mean "are not real women"?

I find those Progress Pride flags hanging like that thoroughly offensive. And scary.

Do they think people want to see that?

Fairly sure you can't hang banners over motorways / a-roads like that regardless of what they say. Police would have removed them regardless.

No, no legislation in Wales when it comes to hanging them over A-roads — the police officer would have said that if it was true.

Someone better tell my local force then. Theres one hanging off a bridge near me, no idea what it says but I've walked over that bridge daily for about 8 years and it's been there all that time.

Aaaaaaghhh — the banners say Tranwomen are Men, not Transwomen are Women. I'm sorry: did that autocorrect? If it had said Transwomen are Women the police would have come and Hung Pride flags around it and held a party.

Photos of banners here https://twitter.com/women_outspoken/status/1695098854545170809/photo/2

I had read about this earlier and am sorry they have been taken down.

I suspect nobody complained and it was only when it was shown on twitter and started being circulated that the rapid response offense squad got mobolised.

Feminist campaigners have accused Dyfed-Powys Police of political bias after protest banners they draped from road bridges were seized and removed.

The grassroots group Outspoken Women put up banners with messages that included “Transwomen Are Men” over bridges in south and west Wales.
Dyfed-Powys Police said they were responding to a report of a “hate crime”.
The protest was timed to coincide with the Bank Holiday for maximum visibility. Temporary banners were hung on bridges and roadside barriers across south and west Wales, bearing slogans challenging gender ideology and its impact on women and children.

The banners were tied on securely using cable ties and eyelets in the fabric. The protesters said they remained in proximity to the banners to make sure they did not cause any problem to passing traffic and that they planned to safely remove them after a short period of time.

https://nation.cymru/news/police-accused-of-bias-after-anti-trans-banners-are-seized/

Nottinghamshire Police officer hit by train while helping man dies www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-66619728

There's more pressing things for police to deal with tbh.

A terrible thing to happen.

But it happened in Nottinghamshire, not Powys. What comparison are you trying to draw?

If freedom means anything at all it means being able to tell people things that they do not wish to hear.
George Orwell.

I wonder how the police would mange is 2 posters were hung up next to each other - 1 saying 'Transwomen are men' and another saying 'Transwomen are women'...be an interesting experiment to see if only one or both are removed

Drove under the one on the bridge in Swansea Friday afternoon. Opened up a conversation with my daughter. She's soon to start training to be a midwife and is horrified at the 'birthing people' and other phrases she's expected to use. She's said there's no way she's calling women that.

Dyfed-Powys Police said they were responding to a report of a “hate crime”.

Dyfed-Powys Police probably need to get their heads round the definition of “hate crime”. And remember that it’s the law of England & Wales they’re responsible for seeing kept; not Stonewall Law.