Police Now Threatening to Arrest People Who Make Fun of Their Facebook Posts About Drug Busts

 When stumbling across a police department’s social media page, it  easy to see how out of touch law enforcement is with the rest of  society. 

If police understood what people truly cared about, their  social media pages would at least give lip service to violent crime, and  they would use these platforms as propaganda tools to give the illusion  that they are making people safe. Instead, police typically decide to put their typical day-to-day  activities on display, which usually amount to nothing more than  harassing peaceful people like you and me for small non-violent drug  offenses. 

This being the internet, these types of posts are usually a  magnet for activists and free thinkers who troll the police and shame  them for their authoritarianism. Unfortunately for people in the UK, free speech is becoming  increasingly restricted online, and the police in West Yorkshire have  recently threatened to arrest those who criticize their drug busts. 

After a large swarm of people began to call them “clowns” and “jerks”  for arresting harmless drug users instead of fighting real crime, The West Yorkshire Police  made a post stating that they deleted comments and blocked users from  commenting. They also threatened to make arrests for insulting the  officers, citing “The Malicious Communications Act of 1988.” The post read: 

“Unfortunately we have had to ban a number of people from  using this page today. I would like to remind everyone that this is a  Police page and whatever your thoughts on one of my officers seizing  drugs in the community, being insulting, abusive or offensive can and  will result in a prosecution under the Malicious Communications Act  1988. We will not overlook the significant harm that illegal drugs cause to  our communities. We know from experience that this can progress from using  what are perceived to be recreational drugs to more addictive and  harmful substances and the resulting criminality used to fund their  continued use. Please use this page with respect or you will be banned and maybe even prosecuted.”

![]()

As  expected, this post has only called more attention and brought more  criticism to the page, drawing many activists from outside the country  who cannot be prosecuted under the UK’s anti-speech laws. The Malicious Communications Act 1988  (MCA) is a British Act of Parliament that makes it illegal in England  and Wales to “send or deliver letters or other articles for the purpose  of causing distress or anxiety”. It also applies to electronic  communications. 

Police the UK made similar threats  last month citing the MCA, in regards to the public outcry about the  medical kidnap of the sick child Alfie Evans. In the midst of the  controversy, Merseyside Police Department threatened to arrest online  posters who were insulting the doctors, judges, and police about how  they handled the situation. 

After the incident, Lord Chief Justice Burnett of Maldon made a renewed call to crack down on critics of the legal system for their online comments. 

Burnett claimed at the time that people exercising their free speech online is “capable  of undermining the rule of law because it erodes confidence in an  institution which doesn’t deserve to have its confidence eroded”.  

“There is no doubt that it is dispiriting and sometimes genuinely  frightening for our judges. It is a factor which inevitably may play  into the recruitment of judges. Put crudely, if people are thinking of  applying, particularly in some jurisdictions, they may be asking  themselves the question ‘why should I put myself through what might  happen’?” Burnett said. 

As The Free Thought Project reported,  earlier this year a YouTube prankster named Mark Meechan was arrested  and found guilty of a hate crime for training his dog to do a Nazi  salute—as a joke to freak out his girlfriend. Meechan says that he is  not racist or antisemitic, but that he likes to explore the “darker side  of humor.” He was also charged and convicted under the MCA. 

Last month, The Guardian  reported that the UK is among the lowest ranked western countries for  press freedom. Reporters Without Borders, which campaigns for  journalistic freedoms, said the UK ranked 40th out of 180 countries on  its annual World Press Freedom Index. 

---

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

---

---

My name is John Vibes and I am an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. I write for numerous alternative media websites, including The Free Thought Project @tftproject and The Mind Unleashed. In addition to my first book, Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance, I have also co-authored three books with Derrick Broze @dbroze : The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality, Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion and Manifesto of the Free Humans

I just won a 3-year-long battle with cancer, and will be working to help others through my experience, if you wish to contribute to my medical bills, consider subscribing to my podcast on Patreon.