I'm not at all sure why this should figure so prominently on BBC news:
Police are investigating suspected homophobic abuse after footage of a woman shouting "shame on you" at people on a Pride march was shared online.
A video posted on Twitter shows a woman wearing a niqab yelling at people, including one person in a rainbow flag.
The Met Police said it was aware of the footage, which was reportedly taken at the Waltham Forest Pride event in Walthamstow on Saturday.
No-one has been arrested and the force said inquiries were continuing.
Video here. Good luck with the identification. The woman's wearing a niqab.
The Met tweeted: "Abusing someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is a hate crime.
"If you have been verbally or physically abused, harassed or attacked in any way by someone because you are or they think you are LGBT+ please report these crimes to police or through a third party agency."
In the video the woman can be heard shouting: "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Shame on you, shame on all of you.
"Shame on you, you despicable people. Shame on you, you shameless people."
If she's allowed to wear a niqab, why can't she shout homophobic abuse? It is - or was - a free country. Anyway, what did they expect? - a woman in a niqab would be cheering on the Pride marchers, waving her little multi-coloured flag?
It is funny though, that hackneyed old Adam and Steve line. Is she a fan of Alan Partridge, by any chance?
'If she's allowed to wear a niqab, why can't she shout homophobic abuse? It is - or was - a free country.'
I can't tell if that question is ironic or not. I'm happy to compromise on the ideal of a free society when that would be manifested by shouting abuse at people on the basis of their sexuality, race, age, gender or disability.
I think we gain more than we lose.
Posted by: Graham | July 30, 2019 at 04:34 PM
It’s not certain that you gain anything at all. People who are afraid to speak out loud just whisper the same stuff to people who are now called allies.
And everyone suspects everybody else of being a fascist, making the “wrong opinions” seem more common than they really are. Today, we find alt-right symbols everywhere, the ok sign, drinking milk, even utility signs drawn on the sidewalk. Beer drinking groups, like the proud boys, are suspected of being underground fascists. Etc
Posted by: Dom | July 30, 2019 at 07:07 PM
No Graham, I wasn't being ironic. I don't think the police should be involved in a case like this. Just as I don't think anyone should've been arrested for an "Islamophobic" hate crime if they'd succumbed to temptation and shouted back something about taking that stupid black sheet off, why don't you, and open your mind a little. Offensive, no doubt. But illegal?
Posted by: Mick H | July 30, 2019 at 08:08 PM
I may be a little surprised to see myself sympathising with restrictions on free speech, but I can't see that there is anything beneficial to members of a society having the absolute freedom to shout, 'F*** off back to Africa, ni***r' at other people in the street.
If that principle applies to race, then I can't see how it would not also logically apply to other non-chosen characteristics. Religion possibly a slightly greyer area and I'm not sure what I think about that.
Posted by: Graham | July 30, 2019 at 11:18 PM