The Daily Mail reports: The street preacher charged with public-order offences for saying homosexuality is a sin has had his case dropped … Dale Mcalpine was arrested by police who claimed his comments to passers-by had caused offence. But the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to pursue the charges as there is insufficient evidence…. […]
Archive | “Hate Speech”
Another European Prosecution for Insulting Religion
[Polish pop star Dorota Rabczewska, also known as] Doda is accused by the prosecutor’s office of the capital [Warsaw] of insulting the religious feelings of others, including by calling the authors of the Bible “drunks and drug addicts.” For this, the popular singer is facing up to 2 years in prison. On April 30, the […]
Street Preacher Arrested in England for Public Statements That Homosexuality is a Sin
From the Daily Mail: [Dale McAlpine] was charged with using abusive or insulting words or behaviour contrary to the Public Order Act 1986…. Mr Mcalpine[ and two others were preaching and leafletting in] the pedestrianised shopping precinct in the centre of Workington…. Mr Mcalpine said a woman came up to him [as he was leafletting] […]
Criminal Conviction in England for Leaving Anti-Religious Leaflets in Airport Prayer Room
By Eugene Volokh on April 25, 2010 12:37 am in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law
Harry Taylor was convicted of “causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress,” and sentenced to six months in jail (suspended for two years), 100 hours of community service, and 250 pounds in costs; he was also barred from “carrying religiously offensive material in a public place.” A few details on the leaflets, from Asian News […]
(Maybe) Racist Vanity Plates and the First Amendment
The Washington Post reports: The owner of a Ford truck bearing the license plate 14CV88 will have to find a new message after the DMV on Wednesday canceled its earlier approval of that series of letters and numbers. A photo of the truck hit the Web a few days ago, went viral on car and […]
Court Strikes Down Military Base’s Ban on Anti-Islam Car Decals
The case is Nieto v. Flatau (E.D.N.C.), decided a week ago. Camp Lejeune policy banned the display of “extremist, indecent, sexist or racist” messages on cars. Mr. Nieto had been required to remove from his car an “Islam = Terrorism” decal, a “Disgrace My Countries [sic] Flag and I will SHIT On Your Quran” decal, […]
Insult-to-Religion Prosecution in Poland
By Eugene Volokh on March 10, 2010 4:27 pm in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, Religion and the Law
From Gazeta Prawna, with many thanks to my father Vladimir and brother Sasha for the translation from Polish: The Gdynia district prosecutor’s office has accused Adam Darski, the leader of the death metal band Behemoth, of defamation of religious sensibilities…. The decision to accuse the musician was announced … Monday by Gdynia District Prosecutor’s Office […]
Minnesota Prosecutors Decline to Charge Man for Posting Anti-Islam Cartoons Outside Mosque, Somali-Owned Store, and Other Places
The St. Cloud Times reports, and includes the letters from the prosecutors, one from the Stearns County and the other from Benton County. (Too bad more news outlets don’t include or point to the original documents this way.) Minnesota Public Radio has more factual details, noting that the “cartoons [were] posted on a couple of […]
Bruce Bawer on the Muhammad Cartoon Attack
By Kenneth Anderson on January 6, 2010 10:30 am in "Hate Speech", Freedom of Speech, International Law, Mohammed Cartoons
Follow up to Eugene’s post on the Muhammad Cartoon attack … see Bruce Bawer’s article in City Journal, “While Europe Sneered.” And although I received a comp copy of the Voltaire Project printing of the cartoons, I have ordered a paid copy and have requested that my school’s library order the book. Please consider doing […]
New Jersey Legislature’s Italian American Caucus Argues That the Making of Jersey Shore May Violate Hostile Work Environment Harassment Law?
That’s what this letter from the Caucus appears to say. In part, the letter just condemns the show; I can’t speak to that, since I haven’t watched the show. But the letter also argues that the use of the terms “is a breach of Viacom’s Global Business Practices Statement requiring a harassment-free workplace environment,” and […]