A man was arrested in Hampshire, in the UK, for having published LGBT flags in the form of a swastika on the internet. The video of the arrest was widely shared on social media.
“Someone suffered from anxiety because of your post on social media. And that’s why you’re being arrested,” the policeman said as he detained the man.
According to the BBC, Darrin Brady, 51, will answer for “malicious communication”, which, under British law, concerns the “sending of letters, electronic communications, offensive or threatening articles with the intention of causing distress or anxiety to the recipient” and that “is a criminal offence”.
The man who made the video was also arrested. According to police, he was detained for “obstructing a prison”.
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones condemned the officers’ actions. “I am concerned about the proportionality and necessity of the police response to this incident,” she said. “When incidents on social media get two visits from police, but burglaries and break-ins don’t always get a response from the police, something is wrong,” she added.
