Free speech row after teenager is arrested for burning poppy on Twitter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti....html#comments

'Free speech' row after man is ARRESTED for posting image of a burning Poppy on his Facebook page on Remembrance Sunday

- Man named locally as Linford House, 19, from Kent was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Malicious Communications Act
- The image of a Royal British Legion paper poppy being held to a cigarette lighter was posted online

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...15_306x315.jpghttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...49_306x315.jpg
A man, named locally as Linford House (pictured right), 19, was arrested yesterday after the image (left) appeared online. The words on the right image have been written on by a third party, who posted it online

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Originally Posted by Daily Mail

Police have arrested a young man after a picture of a burning poppy was posted on Facebook.

The man, named locally as Linford House, 19, was arrested on Remembrance Sunday after the image of a Royal British Legion paper poppy being held to a cigarette lighter was posted online.

Underneath was written: 'How about that you squadey (sic) c****.'

Kent police confirmed that a 19-year-old man, from Aylesham, Kent, was arrested on suspicion of 'malicious telecommunications' on Sunday and remains in custody.

Police said they were contacted at 4pm on Sunday just hours after an Armistice Day service was held in the suspect's village.

The picture was spotted online before a number of calls were made to police.

Naked pictures from the suspect's social media pages were posted as a wave of public anger appeared to mount against him following the allegations.

House is said to be a keen sportsman and a member of the Snowdown Colliery Rugby Football Club, where his father Keith is club captain, according to its website.

Chairman Jim Ritson said: 'Firstly, he [Linford House] was not representing the club in any way when he put the picture online.

'He was drunk at the time and it is not something we condone at all. He has always been a very dedicated rugby player and always seemed like a great lad.

'As a club we will be meeting up to discuss the matter and to discuss how we deal with the situation.'

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An absolute disgrace, I don't condone burning a poppy of course but it is entirely his right to do so if he bought it. Anything that is my property I can take a piss on, burn or spit on - entirely up to me (in a free society that is). We've seen the same with people holding signs in the street condemning homosexuality, knocks on the door from the Police for people flying British flags, for burning the Koran... it's endless.

A big part of me wants to hold a stunt where we burn a Koran, a Poppy and countless other worshipped items simply to prove a point. It goes to show that yet again, living in a democracy doesn't make you free - liberty does.

“Freedom of speech and belief is not subject to approval by a transitory authority. It is absolute or it is nothing. Such was and remains my conviction. And oh, it has got me into some delicious trouble.” - Nigel Farage

Thoughts?

Thats a disgrace, theres people out there who have fought for our country and have saved lives.

Since when was it illegal to be an utter ****?

I agree that he shouldn't have burnt the poppy IF he was doing it to comment on the war.

But to be arrested for it?! Okay then.. he could have been asked to take the picture down if it's upsetting people ._.

*I actually think it's a nice image. The way the fire is flowing etc c: *

It's ridiculous that he's been arrested for it...

i don't have a problem with burning a poppy. Buttt, what he wrote underneath the picture takes it too far. Drunk or not what he wrote is disrespectful. But to be arrested is definitely too far.

disgusting that he burnt the poppy but it's way too far to be arresting him. same with the riley guy, i just think their accounts should be locked and things so they can't continue saying/posting terrible things (even though it's easy enough to still do it).

Nah tbh I don't think he should of been arrested for it? That's ridiculous, he's entitled to an opinion... Just because it's viewed as such a disgraceful thing to do doesn't mean it should be illegal? I'm not even getting into the whole army argument anyways because there's so much I could say but will refrain from causing offense. Nahh though, bang out of order this.

A disgrace, but it should not be for the authorities to arrest him - let Social Media serve better punishment by posting naked pictures of him and treat him like the imbesile he is :P

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Originally Posted by GommeInc

A disgrace, but it should not be for the authorities to arrest him - let Social Media serve better punishment by posting naked pictures of him and treat him like the imbesile he is :P

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After I learned about how advertising is more strict over there, and after I learned how over there judges are allowed to make rulings which force corporations to make statements they don't believe in, I was already beginning to think that you guys don't have much freedom of expression. After I saw that a person (who personally I would like to punch in the face) burned a poppy and got into legal trouble for it, I'm beginning to think that maybe you don't really have much freedom of expression at all.

This is really scary, I hope this doesn't/hasn't happened in modern Canada and if it did then our supreme court would punch the arrest in the face on grounds of a charter violation. For the love of god please tell me your justice system isn't so horrible that they will actually uphold these charges?

What were the police officers thinking? Clearly they are morons who need to be educated as to what an actual crime is. Perhaps they could spend their cyber patrolling time to catch actual cyber criminals as opposed to committing crimes themselves.