It's official - swearing's illegal!

How an activist got arrested for swearing in Crawley.

The day began at the No Borders camp with a sarcastic discussion about how great it would be to get ASBO'd from Crawley because it's such a horrible, corporate nightmare of a town (although most places are heading this way). In Crawley town centre for no more than 10 minutes when 'shock horror', one of us said 'wankers' in ear shot of a couple of grumpy Forward Intelligence coppers. Obviously having never heard bad language in all their lives (no-one ever swears at pigs of course) they were outraged and personally offended. They used the possible presence of children (although there were none there) as an excuse to harrass and bully. The police initially tried to get personal details from the naughty individual who dared to swear and became violent when this was refused, including kicking someone and knocking their glasses off.

This was without doubt politically motivated harrassment by the police, with the victim being arrested and locked up for 7 hours. She was released and charged with Section 5 of the Public Order Act and bailed out of the county of Sussex. Not just Crawley, the whole of Sussex!

Of course Crawley is such a pleasant, polite town. In recent local elections 12% of those who voted chose the BNP. But obviously swearing is a much bigger and more important issue than wanting to deport innocent people back to countries where they may face rape, torture and murder.

It is however no coincidence that the people who were harrassed were on there way to the day of action against racist immigration controls. The police didn't seem offended when fascists stirred up racist hatred shouting at those at the demo.

Although the whole incident was highly amusing at the time, it's getting less and less funny how political activists are being increasingly targeted by such police tactics. Unfortunately for them this kind of behaviour only serves to make us more angry and motivated to fight back against this oppressive system.

No borders, no swearing

Additions

Legal advice

24.09.2007 20:18

IF they are stupid enough to proceed and charge you, (no legal aid is available for crimes this petty and trivial) your options are:

(a) plead NG - unless they can prove that someone was within sight or earshot who was likely to be harrassed, alarmed or distressed, they lose. However, the coppers will no doubt attest (aka lie through their teeth) that young children were nearby and could have heard...and courts like to take coppers' word for it. However the fact you mumbled (half-coughed) the word makes it even less likely anyone heard it except FIT, and FIT officers almost certainly do not (should not) count as people likely to feel alarmed by you.

(b) admit doing it (i.e. saying the word in question) but ask the Prosecutor for a Bind Over to keep the peace. It is not a formal conviction and therefore won't show up on your record. Accepting a bindover (i.e. a promise to be good as gold for the next X months) is at the Prosecutor's discretion, so just ask them nicely and they are likely to go for it for something as silly as this. You could always go the whole hog and ask the Prosecutor (independant of the police) to drop the charges...

Legal Support

Comments

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sue

24.09.2007 16:05

my advice is to sue for wrongful arrest. there are people who can offer advice on how to do this, but basically you have to wait until the criminal process is completed, then initiate civil proceedings. if you need any pointers you can email me.

obviously litigation is only one form of resistance, but if it's there it might as well be used.

pete
mail e-mail: pete@theforest.org.uk

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shut your mouth

24.09.2007 16:29

If you dare to utter a profanity or insult us (we constables are very thin skinned), film or photograph us whilst we film and photograph you, or question our authority in any way, then what do you expect, scumbag? Our job is to stifle all dissent and intimidate anyone with liberal leanings, no ifs, no buts. Any more complaints and we'll taser the lot of you, then round you up and stick you in a gulag. So stay at home, watch Big Brother, eat McDonalds, fly your swastika and keep your mouth shut.

boy in blue

suggestion for ACPO..

24.09.2007 16:59

All police should have the word wanker printed on the back and front of their jackets under the word "police", this way officers won't cry and try and hurt people when members of the public address them by this much more appropriate name.

diddums

do not swear - it's rude, and i'll arrest you

24.09.2007 18:38

i note that my previous comment has been deleted. so does this mean that officers of the law who report the Truth are now being stifled by activists? most interesting.

boy in blue

To Boy in Blue

24.09.2007 20:58

Shouldn't you be at work, yer know, policing? Or do they pay you to spam on Indymedia now? Unless you're FIT, in which case, yep, you're paid to be a snooping pain in the arse.

As for swearing, it's rude, far worse things in the world - violent and power-abusing police, for one - get over it and don't waste more taxpayers money on trivial shite, just so you can bust yet another activist.

There's terrorists out there, don't cha know. Go catch em.

Wanker

Bollocks to the Cops!

25.09.2007 08:09

This is outrageous. If I was charged with this I would ask for many other similar offences to be taken into consideration. And what about all those people who carry placards on demos with swear words on them? Also, i am sure that children will be exposed to many a swear word in the playground and even at home.Its part of our great british culture, donchaknow?

Matron

Same Applies?

25.09.2007 08:53

Well if you can get nicked for saying "wanker" surely it would not be any problem at all.
to catch any number of foul mouthed cops screaming abuse at members of the public, this will often include
sexist and racist comments in with the normal everyday obscenities.
As well as being a bunch of sexist, racist fascists the lying scum also specialize in (PPP) Piggies Porky Pies !

Old Bill

Music at Critical Mass

25.09.2007 10:13

People have been threatened with arrest at Critical Mass on several occasions for playing music that used the word "fuck" - though so far, I don't believe any arrests were made.

blip

I'm going to cry

25.09.2007 10:14

Please stop insulting me and my friends - you are hurting our feelings and we shall not hesitate to prosecute with the help of our Freemason friends at the CPS. Don't you realise that we, too, are human beings and should not be subjected to all this distress and harrassment? We are only trying to do our jobs, which is to usher in the fascist police state under Thatcher admirer Gordon 'Stalin' Brown. Please just let us get on with it.

boy in blue

Only one 'r' ..

25.09.2007 10:39

in >"harrassment"

Spell Checker

Truth hurts

25.09.2007 11:20

Of course being called a wanker hurts, so why don't the copper in question just proves us wrong and stops behaving like a complete tosser?
Have the cops thought to go and arrest everybody who swears? My goodness, prisons will be overfloating, nowadays they even use the F word on television...what has happened to morals?
ps. I was walking right behind the lady who was arrested for allegedly swearing and did not hear a thing, these coppers must have a very fine ear.

camper

any pics?

25.09.2007 11:52

would like to see the face of the cop who allegedly is a wanker.

clandestino

perhaps..

25.09.2007 12:55

she was just merely 'thinking it'?? ;- )

Spooky

now come on!

25.09.2007 14:00

"allegedly" is a wanker !!??

All Cops Are Wankers!

A.C.A.W.

Legal support

28.09.2007 11:40

Regarding the legal advice posted, a bindovwer is on your record for the period that you are bound over, so will be referredto if arrested for anything else. Sometimes a bind over is worth it, but for this????
As was said Legal Aid will be refused, but LDMG will assist with the court process/defence if you want, including as a Makenzies friend. Email us.
Tony

Legal Defence & Monitoring Group
mail e-mail: ldmgmail@yahoo.co.uk

BOLLOCKS!

28.09.2007 12:38

I am going to court on Oct.5.07 for causing harassment, alarm and distress to an armed member of the DPG - Diplomatic Protection Group - the chaps at the gates of Downing Street, for saying the bollocks.

Despite the very nice DPG who was over 6'4" wanting to issue you me an on the spot ticket, the little Nazi idiot DPG insisted I be arrested, carted of to Charing Cross Police Station, held in cells some 6 hours ... for what???

BOLLOCKS!

Inviting all English and non-English folk who embrace our historical anglo-saxon right as asserted by the Sex Pistols and challenged by the state (they lost) to Horseferry Road, Westminster Magistrates Courts on Oct 5, 2007 @ 10:00 a.m.

Is bollocks a swear word or not?

Time for the state to eat some humble pie with a huge helping of BOLLOCKS on the side.

Sincerely,

Charity XXX

Charity
mail e-mail: charitysweet@hotmail.co.uk

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