Offensive text on jacket nets man fine.

ademort
ademort Posts: 1,924
edited February 2009 in Campaign
On reading my local news reports i came accross this one,http://www.omroepzeeland.nl/?dbid=811d88e0cc989da6 I live in the Netherlands and just to explain, this story is about a man aged 23, who lives in a town called Goes, in the province of Zeeland. In March of 2006 he was stopped by local police for wearing a jacket with the initials A.C.A.B. on the back. It appears that one of the policemen who stopped him felt insulted by the text and so arrested the man As some of you will know the A.C.A.B.is an abbreviation for all cops are bastards. The man was arrested and after an appeal has recieved a fine of €200, which has been suspended for two years. A bloody joke if you ask me.
Just wondering, if you were to wear the same jacket in the UK would you also be arrested and charged.
:shock: :shock: :shock: Ademort
ademort
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Comments

  • im in america and people could probobly wear just about anything they wanted as long as they have their junk covered
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Sounds like a sensible judgement to me .

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • MrHulot
    MrHulot Posts: 173
    There must be loads of garments with iffy graphics as there are so many television progs with clothes graphics blurred out together with pictures on walls or tv pictures in the background. I just wonder what the hell is so awful about them that we can't see them.
  • Crapaud
    Crapaud Posts: 2,483
    Why would the cop take offence at an abbreviation of something in English? Does the article say if there is a more innocent explanation?
    A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject - Churchill
  • ademort wrote:
    A bloody joke if you ask me.

    Me too - sounds absolutely ridiculous, does it say what offence he was convicted of? I'd like to be able say that that couldn't happen in Blighty, but given the present government's penchant for criminalising fairly normal activity I can't be sure!

    Tom B, I'm genuinely interested as to how you see it as a 'sensible judgement', could you elaborate?
  • Totally out of order I reckon, and a waste of time.

    I think (hope) Tom B is having a bit of a wind up.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Not a wind up at all - strange world when people accept that walking about with All Coppers Are Bastards is an acceptable thing to plaster on the back of a jacket.

    Personally I'd take it further and ban things like FCUK T-shirts and those stupid stickers some people have in their cars with a guy in a football kit pissing on an opposing teams.

    He's only got a suspended fine for it (I haven't clicked the link just going by the OP) so it's not as they've thrown the book at him.

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Are you seriously serious Tom B? Rather than just put up with or ignore low-level irritations and being 'offended' by mere words and pictures, you'd crimialise everything that could cause somebody offence or irritation? You must be incredibly thin-skinned, a throwback to the Victorian era, or having me on. My money's on the latter!
  • ademort
    ademort Posts: 1,924
    Crapaud wrote:
    Why would the cop take offence at an abbreviation of something in English? Does the article say if there is a more innocent explanation?
    The article only says that one of the two policemen that spotted the man wearing the shirt took offence to the text and arrested the man. Sadly there is no more information, there has been a huge response to the court case, with many people asking why did it come to court in the first place. The man has since binned the shirt.In the Netherlands you just cannot believe the judicial system sometimes.
    I could give you plenty of examples, but then i really would blow this post wide open. Ademort :shock:
    ademort
    Chinarello, record and Mavic Cosmic Sl
    Gazelle Vuelta , veloce
    Giant Defy 4
    Mirage Columbus SL
    Batavus Ventura
  • Huh! I've always thought that the bloke who designed the FCUK logo was dyslexic! :D
    AT MY AGE, I SHOULD KNOW BETTER !!!
  • Personally I'd take it further and ban things like FCUK T-shirts

    You have a problem with 'French Connection U.K.'? I know that it was intensional, but it is witty and doesn't target any group or individual for abuse.
    To err is human, but to make a real balls up takes a super computer.
  • Fortunately this case took place in Holland. Hopefully for us in the UK this will not be an issue.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
  • Sirius631 wrote:
    Personally I'd take it further and ban things like FCUK T-shirts

    You have a problem with 'French Connection U.K.'? I know that it was intensional, but it is witty and doesn't target any group or individual for abuse.

    http://www.kingcnut.com/product_info.ph ... ucts_id=39 :lol:

    IIRC a schoolmate of mine was arrested and fined for wearing one of the "infamous" Vivienne Westwood "gay cowboy" t shirts. But that was Basingstoke back in the early 1980's. Not the most liberal or open-minded of places.

    I've often fancied trying my luck with a "Mohammed F*cked Goats" slogan on a T :twisted:
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    If a man walked around shouting at every cyclist that they were a bastard I'd expect some action to be taken - this case isn't much different.

    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • schmako
    schmako Posts: 1,982
    How does the police officer in question automatically assume thats what it meant? Could be some sports club or something like that!
  • If a man walked around shouting at every cyclist that they were a bastard I'd expect some action to be taken - this case isn't much different.
    ==

    I doubt very much if any action would be taken.

    But if someone was to carry on in such a manner they would be in need of psycihatric therapy.
    Tail end Charlie

    The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.