Alex Salmond Effigy To Be Burnt Tonight At Lewes....

[Lady Whistledown]

1) massive over-reaction by council and police to a couple of tweets

The police don't have any choice in the matter. If somebody reports it as a "hate crime" (followed, no doubt, by hundreds more who've read about it on the internet), then they are obliged to log it and look into it.

I was speaking to one of the Sussex Police call takers last night and he had a list in front of him of all the calls he'd had about it, including from a number of newspapers and agencies. Particularly Scottish ones.

The weirdest thing is, someone I got into a conversation with on Twitter last night about it was more concerned about the portrayal of Nessie than he was Salmond. He perceived that as a racial slur against the Scots, and compared it to burning a Sikh's turban.

I pointed out that a Sikh turban was an article of sacred religious headwear, whereas Nessie is an imaginary cartoon dinosaur invented for the purpose of selling boat trips, t-shirts and tins of novelty shortbread. He didn't agree

 

[soistes]

The police don't have any choice in the matter. If somebody reports it as a "hate crime" (followed, no doubt, by hundreds more who've read about it on the internet), then they are obliged to log it and look into it.

Fair enough, I understand that it's covered by hate crime laws in principle, but do the police not have any scope (given their presumed knowledge of the detail of the relevant legislation) to exercise their judgement and do some kind of "triage" to distinguish between reported "incidents" which are serious and need following up (because there's some real likelihood of a charge sticking), and others which are trivial or vexatious in some way?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Fair enough, I understand that it's covered by hate crime laws in principle, but do the police not have any scope (given their presumed knowledge of the detail of the relevant legislation) to exercise their judgement and do some kind of "triage" to distinguish between reported "incidents" which are serious and need following up (because there's some real likelihood of a charge sticking), and others which are trivial or vexatious in some way?

To a degree, I suppose they do. But this particular incident, being of significant public interest- they'd never be able to just bat it away and say "Man up, Scotland", even if they were so inclined.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Well done to Lewes Bonfire Society. Chillax you Nats.

 

[rippleman]

The ignorance of the OB is staggering. Do we really pay our taxes so they can prevent the torching of an effigy on bonfire night?? Is investigating this "hate crime" really more important than keeping our streets safe and protecting our property? Sheesh!

I have been to Lewes many times over the years and seen effigies burnt including Maggie Thatcher (more than once!), Ronald Reagan, Neil Kinnock, Nigel Lawson, Boris Yeltsin, Archer & Bellotti...the list goes on and on.

It is farcical that the OB apparently has nothing better to do.

Perhaps if they had a better understanding about the history of Bonfire Night in Lewes; the burning of the Protestant martyrs in 1556 (oh look....49 years BEFORE the Gunpowder Plot!), the fact that the effigy of the pope that is burned isn't and never has been the current pope, but the pope (Paul IV??) at the time of the martyrs, to remember the fallen in the World Wars (hence the "Lest We Forget" on the wreaths!), the history of the bonfire societies themselves.

Typical pettiness. And then they moan and complain they don't get the public's full support. Hmmm....now I wonder why!

And sorry Edna...they can and do just bat complaints away. As they did at Brighton station Tuesday night when those complaining that they weren't being allowed aboard the half-empty train to Barnham were told to shut up or get nicked!! Can't have it both ways

 

[wellquickwoody]

To a degree, I suppose they do. But this particular incident, being of significant public interest- they'd never be able to just bat it away and say "Man up, Scotland", even if they were so inclined.

Would it not have been possible for officers to take photos, advise senior Waterloo bods that a complaint had been made and was being investigated? Then the society could make their own assessment as to whether to proceed as planned or not, rather than what appears to be Sussex Police making that decision for them.

 

[jevs]

Would it not have been possible for officers to take photos, advise senior Waterloo bods that a complaint had been made and was being investigated? Then the society could make their own assessment as to whether to proceed as planned or not, rather than what appears to be Sussex Police making that decision for them.

From what i understand, that's pretty much what happened.

When it started kicking off, the senior officers in the society started getting some pretty heavy threats, including several death threats (this has continued today). When the threats started coming through, they pulled the plug and decided i wasn't worth it.

Some of these people have families, young kids for f**k sake and do all this tirelessly all year, would you really need this sort of bo11ocks from some vocal minority ?

 

[wellquickwoody]

including several death threats (this has continued today). When the threats started coming through, they pulled the plug

As I said earlier, war on Scotland!

 

[The Large One]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29929438

 

[shingle]

Yeeessssss. Every cloud has a silver lining. As a result of the Alex Salmond effigy furore, The BBC have bought 4 of my photographs of previous effigys. On the BBC website now

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29915270

 

[Notters]

We wunt be druv (except the members of Waterloo Bonfire Society).

 

[Dandyman]

Strangely enough Cliffe managed to have a tab of Putin without any outraged calls from the Russian Embassy. I also would like to think we would have told the OB were to go if they had tried to prevent a Cliffe tab from going on display.

The level of ignorance about Bonfire on NSC is meanwhile a delight to behold. Once upon a time Brighton, Bognor, Chichester, Worthing and Horsham all had Societies. I am delighted to say that proper Sussex joins the Lewes Societies on the 5th in the shape of among others Firle, Isfield, Newick, Crowborough, Rotherfield, Mayfield, Battle, Hailsham, South Heighton and Hastings.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Strangely enough Cliffe managed to have a tab of Putin without any outraged calls from the Russian Embassy. I also would like to think we would have told the OB were to go if they had tried to prevent a Cliffe tab from going on display.

The level of ignorance about Bonfire on NSC is meanwhile a delight to behold. Once upon a time Brighton, Bognor, Chichester, Worthing and Horsham all had Societies. I am delighted to say that proper Sussex joins the Lewes Societies on the 5th in the shape of among others Firle, Isfield, Newick, Crowborough, Rotherfield, Mayfield, Battle, Hailsham, South Heighton and Hastings.

If you think NSC is bad, try twitter.

Most scotch people believe West Sussex Council have been building effigies as part of a concerted Anti Scottish Tory agenda. Quite where you start with most of that lot I don't know.

 

[Sussaxon]

The only racial hatred I could see last night was against the people of Sussex...


[Tweet]530144626724716544[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530132576099651585[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530026078199640064[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530094778797801474[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530087960910524417[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530129954319925248[/Tweet]

...and these were the more moderate ones!

 

[Questions]

Nessie is an imaginary cartoon dinosaur invented for the purpose of selling boat trips, t-shirts and tins of novelty shortbread. He didn't agree

Look at this. Now I bet you feel a bit foolish Edna.....

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...s-victim-of-sussex-bonfire-burning.1415287127


The comments section is interesting reading.

 

[Hillian1]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...s-victim-of-sussex-bonfire-burning.1415287127


The comments section is interesting reading.

Yes they are.

It only goes to serve the reasoning that we would have indeed been better off if the morons had voted Yes.

 

[Dandyman]

The only racial hatred I could see last night was against the people of Sussex...


[Tweet]530144626724716544[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530132576099651585[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530026078199640064[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530094778797801474[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530087960910524417[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530129954319925248[/Tweet]

...and these were the more moderate ones!

Hard to know how to respond to someone who thinks Sussex is a city.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Yes they are.

It only goes to serve the reasoning that we would have indeed been better off if the morons had voted Yes.

To be fair, if England made the decision - we would have said "Bon f*cking voyage" a long time ago.....

 

[looney]

The only racial hatred I could see last night was against the people of Sussex...


[Tweet]530144626724716544[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530132576099651585[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530026078199640064[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530094778797801474[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530087960910524417[/Tweet]

[Tweet]530129954319925248[/Tweet]

...and these were the more moderate ones!

Cant help notice that one of them has an old Sussex surname, Burgess.