It's official - swearing's illegal!
No borders, no swearing | 24.09.2007 15:33 | No Border Camp 2007 | Anti-racism | Migration | Repression
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.
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...
(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
Hide the following 15 comments
sue
24.09.2007 16:05
obviously litigation is only one form of resistance, but if it's there it might as well be used.
pete
e-mail:
pete@theforest.org.uk
suggestion for ACPO..
24.09.2007 16:59
diddums
do not swear - it's rude, and i'll arrest you
24.09.2007 18:38
boy in blue
To Boy in Blue
24.09.2007 20:58
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
Matron
Same Applies?
25.09.2007 08:53
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
blip
I'm going to cry
25.09.2007 10:14
boy in blue
Only one 'r' ..
25.09.2007 10:39
Spell Checker
Truth hurts
25.09.2007 11:20
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
clandestino
perhaps..
25.09.2007 12:55
Spooky
now come on!
25.09.2007 14:00
All Cops Are Wankers!
A.C.A.W.
Legal support
28.09.2007 11:40
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
e-mail:
ldmgmail@yahoo.co.uk
BOLLOCKS!
28.09.2007 12:38
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
e-mail:
charitysweet@hotmail.co.uk