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-4

JK Rowling slams Graham Linehan’s arrest at Heathrow (www.heraldscotland.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by Davriellelouna@lemmy.world to c/unitedkingdom@feddit.uk

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[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

I disagree with a lot of what Linehan says but I didn't see his tweets as breaching the theshold for inciting violence. I think a threat needs to have the maker/sender of it claim that they, or those close to them, are credibly about to enact the violence.

The tweet I saw, not sure if it's the one that got him in trouble, was similar to how people put "punch nazis" in their twitter bio. To me, that is non-specific and not a credible threat.

Edit: A better example might be the time actor Liam Neeson told an interviewer an anecdote about how he left his house armed with a club with the intention of committing a racially aggravated hate crime. For some reason he thought it would be a good promo for his new action film? At any rate, the way he described the specifics of what he intended to do seems like a clear example of inciting violence.

[–] Eyekaytee@aussie.zone 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Liam Neeson

The one where he explained about how primal violence can make you lose your mind and how he's ashamed of it? That interview?

Liam Neeson has admitted he wanted to kill "some 'black bastard'" after a friend of his was raped, saying the thoughts now fill him with horror.

How exactly is he inciting violence with this ?

[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Neeson was judged not to have met the threshold for inciting violence despite describing in detail how he planned and attempted to carry out a racially motivated attack. In my opinion that's a more specific incitement to violence than the Linehan tweet because it is specific and credible.

Yes, he throw in a few comments about how he regrets it and won't do it again but we're talking about the contents of a statement as opposed to the context.* I'm not convinced either situations should be considered incitement to violence but the Neeson one seems closer to satisfying the criteria for police intervention.

*The law would consider the statements in isolation, like I can't go on a misogynistic/homophobic/racist rant and then add "just kidding" at the end to escape any repercussions.

[–] Eyekaytee@aussie.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Yes, he throw in a few comments about how he regrets it and won’t do it again

it had been 40 years since it happened, i think we’d know by now if he wasn’t sincere

When asked if he would have had the same reaction if his friend’s rapist was a white man or another race, Neeson said “definitely.” “I would have had the same effect,” the actor said. “I was trying to show honor, to stand up for my dear friend in this terrible medieval fashion. I am a fairly intelligent guy. That’s why it kind of shocked me when I came down to earth after having these terrible feelings. Luckily no violence occurred. I did want to lash out because my friend was brutally raped and I was defending her honor. It was a learning curve.”

It’s pretty relatable for a lot of people, you get so angry or emotional you do something you regret is the gist of it, not some request to go out and beat up black people

on the other hand lineman said:

"if a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act".

"Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls," he said.

punch transgender women in the balls if they don't get out of the female bathroom

so yeah there’s a bit of a difference there i think

[–] steeznson@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

It wasn't really framed as a learning experience when he intially brought it up. For some reason he thought it would be an appropriate story to tell to sell his "hard man" credentials as promo for an upcoming action movie role.

[–] dandelion@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Writing on his blog, Mr. Linehan said he was taken into police custody, searched and interviewed in relation to three posts he made on X in April, including one that read: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”

...

Mr. Rowley defended the arrest in his statement, saying that the law “dictates that a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offense” and that “most reasonable people would agree that genuine threats of physical violence against an identified person or group should be acted upon by officers.”

In the 12 months that ended in March 2024, almost 4,800 hate crimes were recorded against transgender people, British police data shows, up from 2,800 hate crimes in the 12 months that ended in March 2021.

...

Mr. Linehan, 57, is set to go on trial on Thursday on separate charges of harassing an 18-year-old campaigner for transgender rights, accusations he denies.

Linehan made three separate threats, is already on trial for harassing a trans-rights activist, and is a known anti-trans activist - the context is important, it's not like this is being overblown, a bigot is advocating for violence against a minority group he campaigns against.

[–] Apocalypteroid@feddit.uk 1 points 2 weeks ago

Neeson wasn't inciting violence though was he? He wasn't encouraging others to be violent. He was describing an incident in his past which he went on to describe how this behaviour filled him with shame and remorse. It was literally the opposite of inciting violence.