The muppet video is from 2022, though it was otherwise real and the same law using to arrest people today was what was used in that arrest above.
The man was released upon getting to the station, as the sergeant on duty decided the offence (yes, I said offence) was too minor.
Originally Posted by Dan Druff
It's law there, it's law in Canada. Know the law where you live.
"The founding fathers did not like the idea of the tyranny of the majority ruling the country"
Dan Druff
“I don't know what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today if a gift
and that is why it's called the present"
Eleanor Roosevelt
One aspect of UK politics which may not be apparent to outsiders is that prime ministers are relatively defenceless when their own party turns on them. A prime minister isn't elected to the role exactly but has to demonstrate they can form a government by commanding support from a sufficient number of elected MPs. Normally PMs who win elections with large majorities are fairly immune from this fate and can easily face down internal critics. Starmer, however, has become so unpopular so rapidly that his own party is now seeing him as an election-losing liability.
Before "resigning" (getting sacked) last week the nominally loyal deputy leader Angela Rayner was trying to get support for new legislation to prevent city mayors from standing for Parliament. This was widely interpreted as an attempt to block the Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan) from being able to challenge Starmer for the leadership but this take is wrong (noone likes Sadiq Khan either). It was actually designed to block the current Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who would be a formidable threat to Starmer in a leadership challenge. Word on the street is that a Manchester MP is about to step down for (genuine) health reasons forcing a bye-election where Burnham would be a shoo-in if he stands. Once an MP he can force a leadership challenge which he'd probably win. If he does become leader of the Labour Party he doesn't need to call a new general election, just showing he has enough support from the Labour MPs is sufficient for him to become PM.
Burnham is currently about 10-1 (+1000) to be the 'next British PM after Keir Starmer' and I think that's a good value bet.
Thank you for the UK civics lesson here (I'm serious... I didn't know any of this stuff).
What do you think about all of these speech arrests? What is the attitude about this among the people you personally know?
It's complicated because the Left is traditionally far more concerned about free speech and legal rights but the recent arrests and prosecutions have mainly been by a supposedly left-wing government against people expressing 'hate speech' (right-wing views) on trannies or immigrants. There is a widespread feeling that laws are being interpreted in an extreme way and need a recalibration. Even senior Labour politicians are starting to say this. This is seen as more of a politicial issue rather than a policing one and there isn't a huge amount of animosity towards the police for trying to enforce crazy laws. I suspect the '30 people per day' figure has been inflated by deliberate confrontational demonstrations where dozens of people are inevitably going to get arrested.
Most people I know are on the Right so obviously regard Starmer pretty negatively. He has completely lost support from the middle-ground voters who gave him a chance in last year's election. He's blown that chance but it's a personal failure and a more acceptable candidate could certainly salvage a lot of Labour goodwill. The Left has never liked Starmer but were generally muted as he seemed on course for election success but now they're trying to dump him asap and get an authentic working class leader.
I agree with you.
I always say the same thing regarding police when they set bullshit speed traps or other traffic ticket traps in the city. Don't get mad at the cops, get mad at the city officials commanding them to do this.
I'm glad the US has the First Amendment so it's more difficult to criminalize speech here, but the left was definitely trying to do this in the early 2020s, hiding behind efforts to supposedly combat "hate speech" and "misinformation".
It is very sad that I'd have to take PFA down if I lived in the UK. That speaks volumes.
You wouldn’t have to take the site down you would only have to remind your members that free speech does not include the spreading of false information/misinformation/lies, without potentially serious consequences, at least in civilized countries.
BTW, anyone arrested in Canada or the United Kingdom will have a day in court.
Due process
"The founding fathers did not like the idea of the tyranny of the majority ruling the country"
Dan Druff
“I don't know what weapons World War III will be fought with, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today if a gift
and that is why it's called the present"
Eleanor Roosevelt
we should probably at least consider the possibility that hes gone insane.
"Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness." - Alejandro Jodorowsky
"America is not so much a nightmare as a non-dream. The American non-dream is precisely a move to wipe the dream out of existence. The dream is a spontaneous happening and therefore dangerous to a control system set up by the non-dreamers." -- William S. Burroughs
https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1969325154300805193
UK continues to be a censorious mess, and not even an unbiased one.
Last edited by desertrunner; 09-21-2025 at 12:07 PM.
https://twitter.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1860614289674961364
Reminds me of this. This was and presumably is an ongoing issue - not allowing English people around areas where Muslims frequent.
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