British Blogger Arrested for Meme Offensive to Hamas
A British blogger, Pete North, has been arrested at his home in Yorkshire for sharing a meme that included the phrase “F–k Hamas.” The arrest occurred late last Thursday when police arrived at his residence, stating that North was being taken in for posting content online that someone from their hate crime team found offensive.
During the arrest, North filmed the police interaction, which has since garnered significant attention on social media. He claimed that although the meme also included derogatory remarks about Palestine and Islam, the officers focused primarily on the reference to Hamas, the militant group responsible for the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. North recounted a portion of his conversation with the arresting officer, stating, “The officer in the interview said, ‘Well, firstly, let’s start with the meme. You posted a meme that said f—k Hamas.’”
After the initial questioning, North expressed disbelief at the officer’s apparent lack of knowledge regarding Hamas and the group’s actions. He remarked, “If you’re going to arrest people for memes, you probably need to pay more attention to current affairs.” The meme shared by North featured a Palestinian flag alongside the phrases “F–k Palestine. F–k Hamas. F–k Islam. Want to protest? F–k off to Muslim country and protest.”
In a statement, North Yorkshire Police confirmed the arrest, noting it was “on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to stir up racial hatred.” Following a lengthy interrogation, North was released without charge. He has since accused the authorities of attempting to intimidate individuals into self-censorship regarding their political views online.
“I feel quite strongly that what political cartoons and memes I post on social media is none of the police’s business,” North conveyed to the Telegraph. He further argued, “Nobody should be facing police inquiries for posting memes on Twitter. The whole point of this exercise is not to win convictions. It’s to terrorize people like me into thinking twice about posting spicy memes.”
This incident is part of a broader trend in the UK, where there has been increasing concern over police actions regarding free speech. Earlier this month, an American cancer patient residing in the UK reported being questioned by police over a message deemed “threatening.”
Critics of the government, including Rupert Lowe, an independent Member of Parliament, have condemned this incident as indicative of a larger issue regarding free speech in the UK. Lowe stated, “Pete North’s ordeal is the latest in a long line of egregious violations of Britain’s free speech tradition” by the left-wing Labour government. He added that “free speech does not exist in Britain – it has been systematically undermined by successive governments, often in the name of ‘safety.’”
As discussions about free expression continue, North’s experience highlights the complexities surrounding online speech in an increasingly polarized environment. The implications of this arrest may resonate beyond just North, potentially affecting how individuals engage with social media and express their opinions publicly.
