Kill the Bill…700 football fans protest against Scotland’s anti-sectarian football bill

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Based on article from heraldscotland.com

Hundreds of football fans turned out in Glasgow on Saturday to protest against proposals for a new anti-sectarianism bill. More than 700 people cheered as key speakers from Fans Against Criminalisation called for the bill, currently going through the Scottish Parliament, to be scrapped. Banners with slogans including kill the bill were waved at the mass gathering in the city’s George Square. Organisers of the event said they were delighted with the support, which they say reflected the strength of feeling on the issue. Jeanette Findlay, of Fans Against Criminalisation, said: We want this dangerous piece of legislation stopped in its tracks. If they want to tackle sectarianism, use the existing powers… It is not a proper piece of legislation and is unnecessary and unworkable.

Dangerous Insults…Glasgow man set to be jailed over insults on Facebook written after football incident

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1st October 2011. See article from thescotsman.scotsman.com

A man is facing a substantial prison sentence after posting sectarian comments on a Neil Lennon hate page just hours after an explosive Old Firm clash, a court has heard. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Stephen Birrell was caught during a special police operation launched to combat bigoted comments on the internet. Birrell admitted posting the religiously prejudiced abuse on a Facebook site called Neil Lennon Should be Banned. He committed the latest ‘offence’ a few days after being released from a previous 12-month jail sentence. Prosecutor Mark Allan told the court that a police team began investigating hate comments on the web after the touchline clash between Rangers then assistant manger Ally McCoist and Celtic manager Neil Lennon during the Old Firm match on 3 March this year. Defence solicitor John McLaughlin said: These postings were distasteful and abusive. However, his postings did not contain threats or incitement to violence. There was no mention on them of Neil Lennon or the manager of Celtic. It was hackneyed sectarian language. The language he used was that of his peers growing up in Dalmarnock. He is now committed to changing his behaviour particularly since his mother is a Catholic. Sheriff Bill Totten told Birrell: What you wrote was vile and hateful there is no place for these kind of remarks in our city or in our country. Adding that his comments could encourage impressionable people to behave in this way and were unacceptable: You should be under no doubt very real harm does result from this. A substantial custodial sentence will probably have to be imposed in this case. Sheriff Totten deferred sentence until next month. Update: Jailed for 8 months for Facebook insults 18th October 2011. See article from scotsman.com Stephen Birrell, who posted sectarian comments on a Facebook page about Celtic manager Neil Lennon, has been given what is thought to be the toughest sentence for a football-related internet insult. He was jailed for eight months for posting religious and racially-motivated comments on the social networking sit. Sheriff Bill Totten told Birrell that the courts had to send a clear message to deter others who might be tempted to behave in this way. One of the comments, posted a day before the Old Firm clash, read: Hope they all die. Simple. Catholic scumbags ha ha. Two days after the match, Birrell wrote: Proud to hate Fenian tattie farmers. Birrell was also handed a five-year football banning order at Glasgow Sheriff Court for writing the comments on a Facebook page titled Neil Lennon Should Be Banned.

Offensive Behaviour…Police will use crowd surveillance and recording to arrest football fans for offensive speech

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See article from thescotsman.scotsman.com

Police arrests for insulting behaviour at a football match Police armed with spy cameras and recording equipment will capture supposedly bigoted speech at Old Firm games as they enforce a new law that will see sectarian fans jailed for up to five years. Strathclyde Police will use the latest surveillance technology to identify supporters who offend against offensive behaviour laws. Police will use the information recorded on their equipment to arrest fans after the final whistle, as they enforce a controversial anti-sectarianism law that is to be rushed through Holyrood before the start of next season. Alex Salmond’s government introduced its bill in the Scottish Parliament, and the legislation is expected to be passed before MSPs rise for the summer recess in two weeks. The bill, which outlaws offensive and threatening behaviour at football matches, and sectarian postings on the internet, was published amid concerns it could be challenged in the courts because it is being forced through too quickly. The proposed legislation has shied away from producing a list of proscribed songs and chants. The law will instead create two new offences – offensive behaviour and threatening communications. Determining whether a football fan has been offensive will come down to whether the he or she is judged to have indulged in behaviour likely to lead to public disorder. Much will depend on the context of their actions. Offensive behaviour covers not only football matches but also fans travelling to and from a game and supporters gathering to watch a match on a big screen or at a pub.

Dangerous Tweets…Scottish government agree proposal to ban threatening communications about football

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See article from breakingnews.heraldscotland.com

New laws against soccer sectarianism could be in place by the start of the next football season after proposals won the support of the Scottish cabinet. The Offensive Behaviour in Football and Threatening Communications Bill would see football supporters who cause sectarian disruption at matches or online jailed for up to five years. Currently people who cause disruption at matches can be charged with breach of the peace, with a maximum one-year sentence. Online hate crime, such as comments posted on Twitter, will be included in the legislation and would carry the same punishment. A spokesman for Alex Salmond said that the Bill is focused on particular areas of the issue of sectarianism and is part of a much wider and comprehensive effort to eradicate the problem. The Bill is expected to be presented to Parliament by the middle of June and completed by the end of the month. Community safety minister Roseanna Cunningham has been given special responsibility to tackle the issue.