David Robertson, who writes as the Wee Flea online, reported both Police Scotland and the Scottish Government for a ‘hate incident’ in September.
It concerned posters with anti-religious sentiments which could result in people attacking those with a faith. The message ‘Dear Bigots, you can’t spread your religious hate here. End of sermon. Yours, Scotland’ appeared around Dundee alongside others that tackled physical and verbal abuse.
Hating Christians?
The implication of this poster is that religious people are those who are phobic and abusive. Robertson noted that ‘by [their] own criteria, [the] posters, especially the one on religion, is a hate incident. I perceive it as being motivated by hate and prejudice.’
Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police was criticised over a statement encouraging people to report ‘offensive or insulting’ remarks that were ‘non-crime hate incidents’. The force acknowledged that ‘police can only prosecute when the law is broken’, but said non-crime hate incidents like an insulting comment ‘can feel like a crime to those affected’.
Critics pointed out that recorded crime in the South Yorkshire area has risen 30%, compared with a national rise of 21% and that the force should focus on ‘real crime’. Twitter users also said the suggestions impinge on free speech and would usher in an Orwellian society, in which people will be reported for ‘thought crime’.
