Arrests come as Trump lands in UK for second state visit

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[–] 99 points 1 year ago (11 children)

What even is the crime? Is projecting light onto a surface now considered vandalism?

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I'm not sure if it's what was used here, but a lot of areas have some kind of generic "nuisance" law, which basically serves as a general purpose "someone is doing something obnoxious that affects us and we want to provide law enforcement with a way to make them stop" tool.

    kagis

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuisance

    Under the common law, persons in possession of real property (land owners, lease holders etc.) are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their lands. However this doesn't include visitors or those who aren't considered to have an interest in the land. If a neighbour interferes with that quiet enjoyment, either by creating smells, sounds, pollution or any other hazard that extends past the boundaries of the property, the affected party may make a claim in nuisance.

    Legally, the term nuisance is traditionally used in three ways:

    • to describe an activity or condition that is harmful or annoying to others (e.g., indecent conduct, a rubbish heap or a smoking chimney)
    • to describe the harm caused by the before-mentioned activity or condition (e.g., loud noises or objectionable odors)
    • to describe a legal liability that arises from the combination of the two.[2] However, the "interference" was not the result of a neighbor stealing land or trespassing on the land. Instead, it arose from activities taking place on another person's land that affected the enjoyment of that land.[3]

    The law of nuisance was created to stop such bothersome activities or conduct when they unreasonably interfered either with the rights of other private landowners (i.e., private nuisance) or with the rights of the general public (i.e., public nuisance)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuisance_in_English_law#Public_nuisance

    EDIT: Okay, found a news article that mentions what they're being investigated for:

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/four-arrested-uk-projecting-photos-trump-epstein-windsor-castle-rcna231804

    Thames Valley Police said in a statement Tuesday night that they arrested four adults “on suspicion of malicious communications following a public stunt in Windsor.” The police added they will conduct an investigation into the incident, and that all four people arrested remain in custody.

    Probably this law, though it doesn't sound to me, on the face of it, like it'd qualify:

    Malicious Communications Act 1988

    It addresses communications "in electronic form", but I don't think that in the everyday sense of the word, a projection would count.

    EDIT2: I also wouldn't be terribly surprised if they don't wind up with this actually going anywhere, and just wanted some sort of legal rationale to make them stop it for the moment.

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  • [–] 69 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Hurting bourgeois feelings is a crime now I guess

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    How is that even possible? How can you hurt something that doesn't even exist?

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    Callousness is a poor facade to thin skin. Personality disordered people have deep, festering wounds that have never been properly addressed. Hurting others is a coping mechanism that releases pressure, momentarily, but doesn't address the cause. That's what cutting attempts, but it's directed at others, rather than self. Psychologically, it's the difference between lancing a cyst and squeezing out the ick without getting the sac that contains it, so it's never really gone - but the ick is now on others.

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago*

    Apparently Malicious communications.

    So basically the officers knew full well they have 0 chance of a successful trial. As no way any court will consider the intent to cause distress.

    But instead are openly acting to silence inconvenient speech. Having had it made clear by the PA law that the gov wants that.

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    What is the charge? Projecting an image? Projecting a succulent incriminating image?

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