So I have to put up with muslim preaching on oxford road by bunch of muslims singing annoying songs and making a racket. But when i want to a hold a sign on oxford road that says islam is X and Y. Then I am inciting hatred?
Do you not see a double standard there? Should I or should i not be free to hold signs that denounce organized religion?
In my opinion a country is not truely free unless people are allowed to hold whatever offensive signs that they want, they should also be prepared to suffer the consequence of that action, be it violent retaliation etc. Not that I would condone that or expect police to protect the sign holder, which in my opinion should know the possible consequences of what he is doing before he holds the sign and potentially offends people. But the violence against a sign holder no matter how offensive should be treated as a violent attack regardless of the content of the sign. That is what it is to be in a free country, the freedom to be offended and keep walking.
What it comes down to though is this obsession with order that the police have, any deviation from the normal day to day and the police classify it as disorder and under section 5 of the public order act you are guilty of a criminal offense and will be treated as a criminal for disturbing the so called "peace". The double standard comes when they don't see the muslims activity as disturbing the peace, as they are just protesting and its a "free country".
