UK Man Arrested for Social Media Post Mocking Transgender Flag-‘Malicious Communications’

 

A man was arrested in the United Kingdom in Hampshire for a social media post mocking the transgender flag.

A viral video shows the moment officers showed up at the man’s home to arrest him, with one officer telling him, “Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. And that is why you’re being arrested.”

“Someone has been caused anxiety based on your social media post. And that is why you’re being arrested.” British policing, 2022. pic.twitter.com/D4MZhbXq08

— Paul Embery (@PaulEmbery) July 30, 2022

The post that led to the arrest was allegedly an image of the pride flag reshaped into a swastika.

Freedom warrior Lawrence Fox recorded the absurdity.

A man (left) reposted an anti-trans tweet & @HantsPolice paid him a visit for causing offence. With him are @HarryTheOwl101 & @LozzaFox.

Asked to go the station he declines but threatened with arrest. Harry & Laurence also offer to be arrested too.

The police decide to leave. pic.twitter.com/BrueHAsgm5

— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) April 27, 2024

The BBC reports the man was arrested for “malicious communications,” and a man who recorded the incident was arrested for allegedly “obstructing an arrest.”

Hampshire government provides this handy flyer on their 1984 approach to speech, noting that malicious communication includes:

• • Content grossly offensive, vulgar, outrageous, shameful, shocking, abusive, insulting
  • That is indecent, degrading, humiliating, improper, especially in relation to sexual matters
  • That is of a threatening nature and the threat is believed to be real
  • That is sent using false information that is believed to be false by the sender
  • Sent to cause the person or anyone else distress or anxiety

The flyer is punctuated with the chilling Orwellian reminder that “Malicious communication is a criminal offense, which could result in prosecution and a criminal record.”

Not included in the flyer, or available from law enforcement, is who actually decides what is “malicious”? Who decides what level of anxiety meets the criteria to be offended?

Donna Jones, PCC for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, criticised her own force over the arrest, saying she was concerned about the “necessity” of the police response.

BBC reports:

She said: “I am concerned about both the proportionality and necessity of the police’s response to this incident.

“When incidents on social media receive not one but two visits from police officers, but burglaries and non-domestic break-ins don’t always get a police response, something is wrong.”

Ms Jones said she would be writing to the College of Policing to encourage “greater clarification” to ensure police forces respond “more appropriately in the future”.

******

He has since been released and will face no further action.

Fox joined Dan Wootton on GB News to discuss the incident.

Watch:

‘We now have a politicised police force and that politicised police force has got to go down’

Laurence Fox joins Dan Wootton to discuss the cancellation of police hate crime awareness courses, after he exposed Hampshire police’s treatment of Darren Brady for sharing a meme. pic.twitter.com/nLtCv6pX46

— GB News (@GBNEWS) August 8, 2022