6 ms·

Police Arrest People for Criticizing Cops on Facebook and Twitter

43 points by vezycash 10y ago

beyondcompute 10y ago
Violence is terrible, terrible thing. But when a society starts to prosecute people for thoughtcrime, it is even more chilling.
cryoshon 10y ago
at what point do educated people admit that the usa is a fascist country? a society can only lurch away from liberalism so many times before the alternative is a better label... edit: my comment is a direct attack on the fools who say that the USA isn't a police state/fascist state because you aren't arrested for your anti state/ anti cop speech online. not sure where they will hide, now.
- cpr 10y ago
  It's certainly fascist in the original sense of the word: government and corporations operating as a single bundle of fasces (sticks). And also clearly becoming fascist in the popular sense of the word.
- AnimalMuppet 10y ago
  We'll see if it sticks. Will the arrests stand up in court? Or will (as I expect) the police get thoroughly slapped down by courts for their over-reach? My money's on the courts pointing out to the police that they can't actually do this.
cLeEOGPw 10y ago
There were open calls for murder of cops along with an image of an officer with slit throat. This is as blatant violence incitement online as it gets. It is against the law and posters should be charged. Also, saying things like "all cops should die" and "we all should grab our pistols and start busting at 'em" are not criticisms of police.
- hobs 10y ago
  "The policing of online threats is hardly a new issue. The Supreme Court set a precedent last year when it ruled that prosecutors pursuing a charge of communicating threats need to prove both that reasonable people would view the statement as a threat and that the intent was to threaten. Elonis v. United States dealt with a man who had posted violent rap lyrics about his estranged wife; the court reversed his conviction." "All cops should die" is not a credible threat and should not be viewed as one, and though "you should all die" is not an actionable criticism it certainly implies the existential critique that the black people in America have for the police, eg that they kill black people for nothing and treat them as subhuman. Arresting people for e-threats is probably not a good use of police time considering the real problems they have, it's simply a use of intimidation and overreaction to a situation they feel like they can't control.
  - cLeEOGPw 10y ago
    When you encourage violence against a certain group it is incitement, simple as that. All jews should die, all white people should die, all muslims should die, this is all incitement of violence, and it is punishable act of crime. Also, white people are killed at higher rates and police are more trigger happy to kill white people than blacks, so their problem is non-existent. It serves a sole purpose - racism against whites.
    - JoeAltmaier 10y ago
      Um, that's pretty much not the case statistically. Its a meme that refuses to die?
    - fucking_tragedy 10y ago
      It's funny how a real actual problem faced by minorities is minimized as far as to be called 'non-existent' only to be followed up by a problem no white person has actually encountered. Unless you count feeling frightened by watching videos on Youtube as racism against whites.
    - ridgeguy 10y ago
millzlane 10y ago
One tweet that led to an arrest said that Micah Johnson, the man who shot police officers in Dallas last week, was a hero. None of the men have been named, nor have they been charged. “I know this is a new issue, but I want these people charged with crimes,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “I’ve directed my officers to prepare warrants for these four individuals, and we’ll see which venue is the best to pursue charges,” he said. The war has begun.
- eternalban 10y ago
  > The war has begun. There is no basis for a war. This "war" is entirely a creation of elites to aggitate the servant classes so that they have the required fig leaf for an official police state and martial law. Please get a clue.
  - brianbarker 10y ago
    OP isn't clueless, just pointing out the obvious.
  - millzlane 10y ago
    I agree. The war started long before today. http://www.denverpost.com/2008/11/06/aclu-wants-probe-into-police-staged-dnc-protest/ http://www.denverpost.com/2008/11/06/aclu-wants-probe-into-p... http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905E5D91430F931A15751C1A9639C8B63&legacy=true http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905E5D91430F... Justice and Liberty for all. I believe that is still relevant in this country. The people see that.
  - cpr 10y ago
    Yes, it does look exactly like that: https://www.dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/07/08/jubilee-jolt-pre-planned-leaked-summer-chaos-begins-dallas.html https://www.dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/07/08/jubilee-jolt...
  - sctb 10y ago
    > Please get a clue. Please comment civilly or not at all. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Cypher 10y ago
How long until people are arrested for thinking a cop is bad?

43 points by vezycash 10y ago

Violence is terrible, terrible thing. But when a society starts to prosecute people for thoughtcrime, it is even more chilling.

cryoshon 10y ago

at what point do educated people admit that the usa is a fascist country? a society can only lurch away from liberalism so many times before the alternative is a better label... edit: my comment is a direct attack on the fools who say that the USA isn't a police state/fascist state because you aren't arrested for your anti state/ anti cop speech online. not sure where they will hide, now.

cpr 10y ago
It's certainly fascist in the original sense of the word: government and corporations operating as a single bundle of fasces (sticks). And also clearly becoming fascist in the popular sense of the word.
AnimalMuppet 10y ago
We'll see if it sticks. Will the arrests stand up in court? Or will (as I expect) the police get thoroughly slapped down by courts for their over-reach? My money's on the courts pointing out to the police that they can't actually do this.

cLeEOGPw 10y ago

There were open calls for murder of cops along with an image of an officer with slit throat. This is as blatant violence incitement online as it gets. It is against the law and posters should be charged. Also, saying things like "all cops should die" and "we all should grab our pistols and start busting at 'em" are not criticisms of police.

hobs 10y ago
"The policing of online threats is hardly a new issue. The Supreme Court set a precedent last year when it ruled that prosecutors pursuing a charge of communicating threats need to prove both that reasonable people would view the statement as a threat and that the intent was to threaten. Elonis v. United States dealt with a man who had posted violent rap lyrics about his estranged wife; the court reversed his conviction." "All cops should die" is not a credible threat and should not be viewed as one, and though "you should all die" is not an actionable criticism it certainly implies the existential critique that the black people in America have for the police, eg that they kill black people for nothing and treat them as subhuman. Arresting people for e-threats is probably not a good use of police time considering the real problems they have, it's simply a use of intimidation and overreaction to a situation they feel like they can't control.
- cLeEOGPw 10y ago
  When you encourage violence against a certain group it is incitement, simple as that. All jews should die, all white people should die, all muslims should die, this is all incitement of violence, and it is punishable act of crime. Also, white people are killed at higher rates and police are more trigger happy to kill white people than blacks, so their problem is non-existent. It serves a sole purpose - racism against whites.
  - JoeAltmaier 10y ago
    Um, that's pretty much not the case statistically. Its a meme that refuses to die?
  - fucking_tragedy 10y ago
    It's funny how a real actual problem faced by minorities is minimized as far as to be called 'non-existent' only to be followed up by a problem no white person has actually encountered. Unless you count feeling frightened by watching videos on Youtube as racism against whites.
  - ridgeguy 10y ago

millzlane 10y ago

One tweet that led to an arrest said that Micah Johnson, the man who shot police officers in Dallas last week, was a hero. None of the men have been named, nor have they been charged. “I know this is a new issue, but I want these people charged with crimes,” said Detroit Police Chief James Craig. “I’ve directed my officers to prepare warrants for these four individuals, and we’ll see which venue is the best to pursue charges,” he said. The war has begun.

eternalban 10y ago
> The war has begun. There is no basis for a war. This "war" is entirely a creation of elites to aggitate the servant classes so that they have the required fig leaf for an official police state and martial law. Please get a clue.
- brianbarker 10y ago
  OP isn't clueless, just pointing out the obvious.
- millzlane 10y ago
  I agree. The war started long before today. http://www.denverpost.com/2008/11/06/aclu-wants-probe-into-police-staged-dnc-protest/ http://www.denverpost.com/2008/11/06/aclu-wants-probe-into-p... http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905E5D91430F931A15751C1A9639C8B63&legacy=true http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9905E5D91430F... Justice and Liberty for all. I believe that is still relevant in this country. The people see that.
- cpr 10y ago
  Yes, it does look exactly like that: https://www.dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/07/08/jubilee-jolt-pre-planned-leaked-summer-chaos-begins-dallas.html https://www.dollarvigilante.com/blog/2016/07/08/jubilee-jolt...
- sctb 10y ago
  > Please get a clue. Please comment civilly or not at all. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Cypher 10y ago

How long until people are arrested for thinking a cop is bad?