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Scottish First Minister Defends Hate Crime Law. Citizens Use It To Report Him.
The Daily Wire ^ | April 4, 2024 | Virginia Kruta

Posted on 04/05/2024 1:46:39 PM PDT by Twotone

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is a vocal proponent of his nation’s new hate crime law — which has placed “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling in the crosshairs — but that didn’t stop citizens from using its provisions to report him for hate speech.

According to the BBC, thousands of complaints had been made under the new law’s provisions — namely one aimed to stop people from “stirring up hatred” based on certain protected classes — within hours of it taking effect. The news outlet also reported that a large number of the complaints were against Yousaf himself, mostly relating to a 2020 speech he gave while serving as Justice Secretary.

In that speech, Yousaf complained about the number of white leaders across the nation of Scotland and advocated for more diversity in leadership roles — but he did so in a fashion that was widely criticized as “racist” and “anti-white.”

Scottish police responded to the large number of complaints, telling the BBC that they had already looked into Yousaf’s comments back in 2020 and had determined that there was nothing criminal about what he said. They also confirmed that the new law would not be implemented retroactively.

Community Safety Siobhian Brown weighed in on the complaints that overwhelmed police in the early hours of the law’s implementation, worrying that a good portion of them could be classified as “fake and vexatious.”

Brown blamed “misinformation” for the influx, but said that police were equipped to deal with the situation. She went on to reassure the public that there would be a high standard set for what would actually be considered criminal: “We’ve been very clear within the act this is not about restricting freedom of expression, it is to protect.”

According to Brown, the statement must “be threatening or abusive with the intent to a stir up hatred towards an individual” to the point that it causes the person to fear for his or her safety.

A number of complaints were also directed at Rowling, who openly criticized the law and said that she would not comply if told she must refer to trans-identifying men as “women.”

She doubled down on April 1, even as the law went into effect, and laid out a series of posts labeling trans-identifying men as men — prompting a public complaint from Yousaf calling her words “offensive and upsetting.”

Rowling fired right back via X, saying, “Most of Scotland is upset and offended by Yousaf’s bumbling incompetence and illiberal authoritarianism, but we aren’t lobbying to have him locked up for it.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: hatecrime; offended; offensive; scotland

1 posted on 04/05/2024 1:46:39 PM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

It’s a slippery slope they have begun to travel, it won’t end well.


2 posted on 04/05/2024 1:50:05 PM PDT by ABN 505 (Right is right if nobody is right, and wrong is wrong if everybody is wrong. ~Archbishop Fulton John)
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To: Twotone

Arrest that hater!


3 posted on 04/05/2024 1:53:40 PM PDT by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: Twotone

Bahahah libtards are full of hate they should jail themselves


4 posted on 04/05/2024 1:59:20 PM PDT by NWFree (Sigma male 🤪)
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To: Twotone; All

This is the speech.

Starts at the prompt

https://youtu.be/keHeiMWnnB8?t=370


5 posted on 04/05/2024 2:07:14 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Reverend Wright; All

Note that Scotland is 96 percent white.

Even then they refuse to fight back. Except using the laws used by the Tyrants (which are useless since the laws are selectively enforced)


6 posted on 04/05/2024 2:08:59 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Twotone

All Scotsmen will bow to Hamza. Oops. They already did.


7 posted on 04/05/2024 2:21:43 PM PDT by nwrep
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To: Twotone

“they had already looked into Yousaf’s comments back in 2020 and had determined that there was nothing criminal about what he said. They also confirmed that the new law would not be implemented retroactively.”

.

Something the people need to have plenty of documentation on.

As soon as the government finds some incident THEY want to lock up (the prog universal solution to all major and minor problems with non-adherence to their tyranny) a mere peon for the heinous crime against The State of “Having A Differing Opinion” will have something to wave at the Revolutionary Tribunal.

That whole “not retroactive” thing will have vanished.

.


8 posted on 04/05/2024 2:36:41 PM PDT by TLI (ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: Twotone

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, this is what infestation looks like


9 posted on 04/05/2024 2:37:10 PM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: Twotone

The Stupid shouldn’t be allowed to make laws


10 posted on 04/05/2024 2:39:47 PM PDT by butlerweave
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To: Reverend Wright
Note that Scotland is 96 percent white.

How on Earth did that camel jockey get elected?

Dominion?

11 posted on 04/05/2024 2:42:43 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (The worst thing about censorship is █████ ██ ████ ████ ████ █ ███████ ████. FJB.)
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To: Twotone

“that there was nothing criminal about what he said”

Of course not. This law was meant to apply only to native Europeans. Not to people from outside the continent.


12 posted on 04/05/2024 2:48:21 PM PDT by packagingguy
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To: Twotone

The law found nothing criminally hateful in this guys earlier speech so now repeat it word for word but with a different target.


13 posted on 04/05/2024 3:09:14 PM PDT by TalBlack (I We have a Christian duty and a patriotic duty. God help us.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Poisoned by Wokeness. Imagine a country composed exclusively of American liberals and leftists.


14 posted on 04/05/2024 3:33:50 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Reverend Wright

Just go to Massachusetts for a taste of what that would be like.


15 posted on 04/05/2024 3:40:21 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: Disambiguator

Or King County (Seattle).

Closer to me and exactly the same.


16 posted on 04/05/2024 3:50:21 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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