A man from the UK, Matthew Doyle, was arrested on Wednesday after his anti-Muslim tweet went viral earlier in the day and sparked criticism and mockery. The tweet, which has since been deleted, read, “I confronted a Muslim woman in Croydon yesterday. I asked her to explain Brussels. She said ‘nothing to do with me’. A mealy mouthed reply.”
This tweet, and so many others like it, are terrible and can serve as a spark that ignites the bigotry, racism, and hatred in others. Other Twitter users were not about to let Doyle’s ignorance go unpunished, and responded by imitating his tweet and making their own versions of a similar and ridiculous situation. Look at a few hilarious examples below:
Though the responses were awesome, and restore faith in humanity and it’s never-ending mockery of small-minded people, it’s important to remember that posts like the original tweet can incite racial hatred and, if possible, should be reported. Doyle continued to post racially-charged tweets for the rest of the day, even asking, “Who cares if I insulted some towelhead ?? Really.”
The popularity of this post made its way to British authorities, who then arrested Doyle at his home on the night he posted the tweet. In Britain, police have been arresting Facebook and Twitter users for posting anti-Muslim statements. Police back in 2013 said their reason for going ahead with the arrests under the Public Order Act was because “These comments were directed against a section of our community. Comments such as these are completely unacceptable and only cause more harm to our community.”
Before he was arrested, Doyle said, “If I was anyway threatening – I would be reported.” He also defended himself by saying, “I have the right in a democratic society to speak my own mind.”
Do you think his arrest was a violation of his freedom of speech? Does his hate-fueled speech warrant his arrest? Comment your thoughts below and share this article!
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