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"Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult' "

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Patron with Honors
They are trying to criminalize the use of the word "cult".

From the Daily Mail UK:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-holding-sign-labelling-Scientology-cult.html

"Liberty director, Shami Chakrabarti, told the Guardian: "This barmy prosecution makes a mockery of Britain's free speech traditions.
"After criminalising the use of the word 'cult', perhaps the next step is to ban the words 'war' and 'tax' from peaceful demonstrations?"

At the end of the article it says that,

"The force [police] came under fire in 2006 for accepting thousands of pounds of hospitality from the Church of Scientology.

However a police spokeswoman said this was done in accordance with the force's regulations."


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...labelling-Scientology-cult.html#ixzz2B6sI2wvN
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook"

The police are so easy. They can be bought with a bit of "hospitality".
 

guanoloco

As-Wased
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

Did you read the date on this article?

Last updated at 11:38 AM on 21st May 2008


Am I missing something?

If that's correct then this looks like very old news.
 

guanoloco

As-Wased
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

Thanks for that, 120.

I would expect this to be the trend as more and more exposure to Scientology's nefarious methods leaks out. Namely the abuse of the legal system to stymie critics and the buying of clout with the police.

People will hate this organization just for its tactics - claiming righteous indignity over the word "cult"...just like the over used "bigot".

All this crap is a boomerang that will come back and blacken the eye of Scientology.
 

PTS

Elliott
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

Wasn't this Epic Nose Guy?
 
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

... I would expect this to be the trend as more and more exposure to Scientology's nefarious methods leaks out. Namely the abuse of the legal system to stymie critics and the buying of clout with the police. ...

Actually this has nothing to do with abuse of the legal system. It is a direct result of the traditional British approach to matters of public speech and specifically the penalties for speech deemed offensive or intentionally inflammatory.

They don't have the 1st Amendment and the free speech laws are quite different from u.s. customs.

In recent years this has become increasingly controversial, especially with the recent passage of laws regulating hate speech. It's up to the British electorate to clarify whether these need to be changed.


Mark A. Baker
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

Wasn't this Epic Nose Guy?

As MrNobody said, Yup. Here he is doing what then got him in such a bind with the police and court.

epicnoseguy.jpg


2483922123_baa04b21a5.jpg


So glad the charges were dropped. International media attention certainly helped :)
 

guanoloco

As-Wased
Re: "Teenager, 15, facing prosecution for holding sign labelling Scientology 'a cult'

Actually this has nothing to do with abuse of the legal system. It is a direct result of the traditional British approach to matters of public speech and specifically the penalties for speech deemed offensive or intentionally inflammatory.

They don't have the 1st Amendment and the free speech laws are quite different from u.s. customs.

In recent years this has become increasingly controversial, especially with the recent passage of laws regulating hate speech. It's up to the British electorate to clarify whether these need to be changed.


Mark A. Baker

Yeah I gotcha'...I'm not talking about anything except Scientology using existing laws to cry victim and attempt to bring the incredible power of gov't to thwart and stop critics.

We see this with Hubbard's pleas to the FBI, I had read once where the GO started anonymous IRS whistleblowing to "get" the bad guys in hot water (wish I could find this again because it boomeranged and led to the IRS revoking the Church exempt status), the use of law suits to harass, the cries of "bigot" and such. Here we have the exact same method of operation where the police received complaints invoking said law by Scientologists finding the word cult in violation.

Just take the contents out of the whole equation - minus Enland, that law, that protest, those police, the whole enchilada and put it in a completely different content somewhere else, let's say the Maw Confederacy or the Marcab Confederacy or the Galactic Confederacy or the Espinol Confederacy and their existing laws, the outcome would be the same. Scientology would use those laws to silence or hinder criticism.

It's not the content I'm talking about, it's the context.

Here is the direct quote from the article that prompted me to write "abuse of the legal system":

However, a spokeswoman for City Police said they had received complaints about the use of the words "cult" and "scientology kills" and warned protestors their signs breached the Public Order Act.

Don't forget that this is the Church of Depraved Indifference that we're talking about and as such any claims of being offended are actually devices to deceive because when you suffer from the Depraved Indifference that Scientology does you, me and all the rest of the exes know that it's a complete ruse that Scientology finds ANYTHING offensive.

People are getting wise to Scientology being "affronted", they're getting wise to Scientology being "persecuted". It's a form of deceit and the chickens are coming home to roost.
 
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