Graham Linehan arrested at Heathrow over his X posts

[Mosby]

Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to his posts on X.

He was arrested by five officers after arriving on a flight from the US, and said in an online Substack article that officials then became concerned for his health after taking his blood pressure, and took him to hospital.

The Metropolitan Police said that a man in his 50s was arrested on 1 September at Heathrow Airport and taken to hospital, adding his condition "is neither life-threatening nor life-changing" , and he was bailed "pending further investigation".

Linehan said in an online article on Substack that his bail condition stipulates he is "not to go on Twitter" and that his arrest related to three posts on X from April, on his views about challenging "a trans-identified male" in "a female-only space".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07p7v2nn8mo

He's a comic. You can find the offending posts on X.

[Abolishinist]

1. And I thought WE were over the top.

Besides the one mentioned, here are the other two.

His second post from X appeared to be an aerial shot of a group of protesters in a town centre, and he called it "a photo you can smell".

The third expressed his views, in which he said "I hate them", referring to "misogynists and homophobes", adding an expletive.

[intrepidity]

2. How is this not a violation of 1st A?? nt

[canetoad]

4. "Heathrow airport"

Should be the clue. This happened in the UK.

[Emrys]

8. The UK doesn't have a First Amendment. Protections do exist under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1988,

which adopted into UK law legislation in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/schedule/1/part/I/chapter/9

Freedom of speech in educational settings is also defined and protected by the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

"Hate speech" is not protected, and is defined by law (though the boundaries may be argued in court, and probably will be in this case if it goes that far). Linehan is alleged to have breached provisions under the Equality Act 2010 that include safeguards for those with protected characteristics, which includes those with transgender status.

[Oneironaut]

3. Not sure about arresting, but, Glinner seems to be mentally unwell these days.

He seems strangely obsessed with fighting with and harassing trans people on Twitter, to the point he blew his whole life up over it.

He honestly just needs a therapist instead of a jail cell.

[róisín_dubh]

7. Seriously.

He needs to have some long chats with a psychiatrist.

If they’re going to start seriously policing hate speech, they need to go after the Reform knobheads.

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. I live in the UK and do appreciate robust protections against speech meant to incite hate and violence. This seems a bit excessive though.

[tritsofme]

5. Thank goodness for the First Amendment! If Trump had access to "hate speech" laws

All of us on this site would be in jail.

[Justice Brandeis]

6. I don't care for the things he said, but arresting him?

A pretty illiberal thing to do in a supposed democracy.

[Johnny2X2X]

9. So a coworkers parents were interrogated at JFK this Summer

Two 70 some year old Dutch people from West Michigan returning from visiting family overseas (Vietnam). ICE singled them out for some reason, went through their phones, and asked them about anti Trump Facebook posts. Held them in a room for several hours, they missed their connecting flight. It was terrifying and they were shook, but they were released and made it home.

It's happening here right now.