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British Students Arrested for Making "Racist" Tweets

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BlackCupid
Posts: 1533 - Karma: 9
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17434587

A student has admitted posting racially offensive comments on Twitter about footballer Fabrice Muamba.

Liam Stacey, 21, appeared at Swansea magistrates' court after tweeting about the Bolton Wanderers player who collapsed during a FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

The 23-year-old, who suffered a cardiac arrest, remains critically ill.

Stacey, a Swansea University student from Pontypridd, admitted a racially-aggravated public order offence.

He was arrested after his comments on the social networking site were reported by other users.

He has been released on bail and is due to be sentenced on 27 March,

Prosecutor Lisa Jones told the court: "Fabrice Muamba collapsed on the pitch and was believed to have died."

The court heard shortly afterwards Stacey posted the offensive comments.

Complaints

Magistrates were told police forces across Britain received complaints following the comments.

Stacey tried to "distance himself" from the tweets by claiming his account had been hacked, the court was told.

Magistrates heard he later tried to delete his page but he was arrested on Sunday at his student house in Swansea.

Click for larger imageFabrice Muamba, 23, collapsed during a match on Saturday

When interviewed by police, Stacey said he had been drinking since lunchtime on Saturday and was drunk when he made the comments.

He told police: "I was at the bar when I heard what had happened to Muamba. I don't know why I posted it.

"I'm not racist and some of my friends are from different cultural backgrounds."

Bailed

Stacey was close to tears as the evidence was given about his tweets.

The court heard he later texted a friend and said: "I said something about Muamba that I shouldn't have and tweeted back to some people who abused me. Getting police on me now which isn't good at all."

Stacey was told in court that he could be jailed over the comments.

He has been bailed until he is sentenced and has been ordered not to use Twitter and other social networking sites.

Here are the tweets in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5v2eZ5ZZE&feature=player_embedded


Mar 20 2012 12:38AM
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SteezyasPie
Posts: 1160 - Karma: 15
Jail time over a nonthreatening tweet? That's ridiculous. Yeah, racism isn't cool, but this is a major overreaction
Mar 20 2012 12:43AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24704 - Karma: 29,683
...Really? Go on youtube. Look on ANY video on there... 80% of the time, there's a racist comment.

But, the ONLY reason this is happening, is because Muamba suffered a tragic situation. If he would have made those comments about, just about ANYONE else, there would be no reaction.






Mar 20 2012 12:52AM
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dex.
Posts: 2973 - Karma: 62
one reason why i love america. all hed have to do here is make a public apology... if he felt like it
Mar 20 2012 12:56AM
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
What the fuck? Who cares...
Mar 20 2012 12:59AM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
fuck freedom of speech, someones feelings might have been hurt
Mar 20 2012 1:01AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24704 - Karma: 29,683
Meanwhile, football fans all around the country give middle fingers and tell the opposing support USING THEIR REAL WORDS that they are all a bunch of ^%$#&^%^%#@%&U$#&%$#@@ and who knows what else that's 1000 times worse.
Mar 20 2012 1:18AM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
but.. but.. racism?
Mar 20 2012 1:26AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24704 - Karma: 29,683
They'd never do this if it happened in Spain lol.
Mar 20 2012 1:28AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Fuck the canadien police man
Mar 20 2012 1:45AM
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Poems
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 3
dafuck?
Mar 20 2012 1:54AM
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Poems
Posts: 1041 - Karma: 3
dafuck?
Mar 20 2012 1:54AM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
This guy gets arrested for doing what every 14 year old does on youtube?

All while the imams preach islamic supremacism in UK mosques unhindered.
Mar 20 2012 3:28AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24704 - Karma: 29,683
We get it, you hate muslims.
Mar 20 2012 3:30AM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
has not much to do with the thread.

but its nice how you compare yourself with a group you apparently hate.



obviously there is a lot of emotion going on in sports especially when it comes to players from other teams. but there is a difference between calling someone an asshole and using a racist expression.



i like that the UK make this guy responsible for his actions even though he was just "speaking his mind". racism has no place and freedom of speech should not protect it.
Mar 20 2012 4:51AM
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dex.
Posts: 2973 - Karma: 62
qft
Mar 20 2012 4:58AM
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Flozz
Posts: 144 - Karma: 13
Where do you draw the line between this case and the 95% of people on the net who use/have used racial remarks before? You ok with criminally charging all those too?

Its a can of worms man....

Mar 20 2012 5:04AM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
don't feed the troll
Mar 20 2012 5:05AM
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Flozz
Posts: 144 - Karma: 13
My bad. Rookie move haha.
Mar 20 2012 5:09AM
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razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
He is just being made an example of. The uk has issues with racism and especially racism in football so this may be an overreaction to some tweets but its called for if we ever want anything to change. Vibes to muamba.
Mar 20 2012 5:43AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Crazy how hateful some people can be and how idiotic by proclaiming it to quite widespread channels like Twitter under their own name, no less.

"I was drunk!" Well, yeah, that makes it all acceptable.
Mar 20 2012 6:08AM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
It has everything to do with this thread.

I don't understand how posting racist nonsense on twitter is an issue worth investigating, all while they continuously turn a blind eye to racism that actually results in innocent people being killed. The UK is on the forefront of 21st century appeasement along with France. However, don't you dare say anything bad about their minorities or you'll go to jail! Reverse discrimination at its finest. If some black person in the UK had written the similar things about a white soccer player, do you think this would have gone beyond twitter?

Actual racism needs to be eradicated, like the one that led to the death of three French Jewish schoolchildren by an armed islamic militant on a motorbike.
Mar 20 2012 6:08AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
It'll be interesting to see how situations like this, from a comparably minor event, and will it just create a more angry divide between racists and tolerants.

But about Toulouse - you have a mind's eye or something, as no one knows the shooter's motive or background, no proof of being an Islamic agenda.
Mar 20 2012 6:16AM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
All indications so far point that direction.
Mar 20 2012 6:33AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Oh, really? Tell me more of these indications.

This guy, if it is the same shooter or group of people in all the cases, has not said a word during any of the attacks, just getting in and getting out.

France has a large amount of organized rightwing extremists, neonazis, racial purists along with anti-semitist groups.

I really wouldn't say just yet that this is the work of an Islamist agenda, look at what happened with Breivik and all the instant condemners of muslim terrorists and open society behind the attack.
Mar 20 2012 7:38AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
But actually I still don't understand the press or media actually publishing people's names, even if it was known to many already.

It should just be "21-year-old student from Swansea" and leave it at that.
Mar 20 2012 7:58AM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
hahah Im all for this type of shit, make an example out of him
Mar 20 2012 8:37AM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
THOUGHT CRIMES
Mar 20 2012 8:39AM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
uhh take 2 seconds to look up the UK laws and you'll see you're wrong. also, try to prove your theory in regards to the American system and you will just end up resorting to the slipper slope argument which isn't worth shit in a debtate.
Mar 20 2012 8:44AM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
slippery
Mar 20 2012 8:44AM
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Oldmann1584
Posts: 1399 - Karma: 95
what the fuck is this shit?! are you kidding me that is BULLSHIT he is getting arrested... wow this pisses me off
Mar 20 2012 9:41AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Please tell us more.
Mar 20 2012 9:44AM
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razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
so you're pissed off that he is being held accountable for his actions on the internet, in the real world, based in a country which has strong views and has laws against public displays of racism?
yeah, yeah he has freedom of speech bla bla bla, but there is having an opinion, and a public verbal assault for no reason other than race.
Mar 20 2012 9:53AM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Nothing else to it, really, it's that simple. In Finland there's a law for "Inciting hate or threats of violence against a group of people based on race, ethnicity or minority".

Last year, especially, there were a lot of Facebook groups started, such as "Kill or the n*****s!" or "Kill all the gypsies!", and a few others that were not as graphic or strictly enforcing acts of violence towards any given group, but they were inciting hate and as such were dealt with, shut down and given fines.

I doubt this guy will see any time, just a huge slap on the wrist along with a fine.
Mar 20 2012 10:06AM
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corona
Posts: 12753 - Karma: 32,280
on CBC here in Canada they're saying evidence is pointing towards neo-Nazi French soldiers released from military service a couple years ago.

Where are you getting that they're muslim from?
Mar 20 2012 10:19AM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
dude don't engage that guy he's just as bad as me only half as intelligent


Mar 20 2012 10:24AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 36710 - Karma: 110,904
Nice post that is relevant to the topic, man.
Mar 20 2012 10:31AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 36710 - Karma: 110,904
Aimed at the dude talking about Muslims but whatever. Didn't a football club manager get fined for making racist remarks about a black player on an opposing team?
Mar 20 2012 10:35AM
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razors-chaz
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,250
Most recently is this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16825874 with John terry the captain of chelsea being trialed for racist remarks to Anton Ferdinand of qpr. So as ive tried to make clear in my posts, public displays of racism are dealt with seriously in the uk especially with or toward people in the media alot, in a bid to try and reduce the amount of racism in a racially diverse country.
Mar 20 2012 10:42AM
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
I doubt that, you're stupid as fuck. You couldn't argue your way out of a wet paper bag.

I read an opinion piece pointing out evidence that it could have been an islamic militant. However, should it prove to be a neo-nazi my point still stands since both carry out attacks based on antisemitism.
Mar 20 2012 12:42PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Holy moley.
Mar 20 2012 12:46PM
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Anathema
Posts: 21048 - Karma: 5,061
that's awesome. omg actions have consequences?! i'm going to cry about it an apologize. or, you could not just be another anonymous a-hole who posts despicable garbage on the internet.
Mar 20 2012 12:46PM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
holy shit instant fail
Mar 20 2012 12:59PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
From the UK perspective, we are a lot more sensitive than the US to issues of racism.

The UK has a much more significant racial mix than the US. Because of our colonial past, the UK has large number of people from Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc. Therefore, our race hatred laws are a lot stricter, because they're critical to the good functioning of society.

And because we have never been occupied or oppressed, we have no history of ever having our liberty deprived, and therefore the notion of absolute, quasi-libertarian freedom that Americans seem to value is not an issue in the UK. With rights comes responsibility. One mans freedom to express himself ends where the next man's right not to be intimidated or discriminated against begins. Freedom is not, and never should be, absolute.
Mar 20 2012 1:13PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,844
Good. Freedom [of speech] until you infringe on another's rights.
Mar 20 2012 1:21PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Right on the money.
Mar 20 2012 1:56PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
There is no fucking slippery slope argument here, seriously, how hard is that to understand?
Mar 20 2012 2:00PM
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
Click for larger image
Mar 20 2012 2:03PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
Explain yourself, instead of posting memes like a child.
Mar 20 2012 2:55PM
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hey-dude-its-me
Posts: 4238 - Karma: 412
I kill you
Mar 20 2012 3:05PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Do you even understand the concept of "absolute freedom"?


It's called anarchy.
Mar 20 2012 3:08PM
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