Merf. Thinking is Hard.

I need someone British to explain this to me.

tithenai:

spiralfish:

tithenai:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-17343409

And

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/892913-teen-charged-over-facebook-post-on-uk-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistan

What. The fuck. Can “a racially aggravated public order offence” even mean in this case? A teen of colour complains on Facebook (in language I can’t find in any article reporting this) that the media focuses more on the deaths of British soldiers than on the deaths of Afghani civilians, and he gets arrested? And the actual charge and the arrest are something like a week apart?

I really don’t want to have actually already understood what’s taking place here, so seriously, any light shed on this by someone who can offer an explanation that isn’t the obvious and terrifying one should feel more than welcome to do so.

:S  I can shed more light, but…I fear it doesn’t offer an explanation that isn’t the obvious and terrifying one. :S  

Racially-aggravated offenses come from the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.  I suspect it was one of these:

Section 31(1)(a) creates the distinct offence of racially or religiously aggravated fear or provocation of violence. A person is guilty of this offence if he commits an offence under section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986  which is racially or religiously aggravated within the meaning of section 28.

Section 31(1)(b) creates the distinct offence of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress. A person is guilty of this offence if he commits an offence under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986  which is racially or religiously aggravated within the meaning of section 28.

Section 31(1)(c) creates the distinct offence of racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress. A person is guilty of this offence if he commits an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 which is racially or religiously aggravated within the meaning of section 28.

Thanks for this. I have no words, but thank you.

………………..

=/ 

I feel racially aggravated fear, alarm and distress from this action taken by the West Yorkshire police.