After a clampdown on stickers

The Scottish Sun also reports on The Great Controversial Stickers Controversy.

POLICE Scotland faced anger and ridicule after a clampdown on stickers from a feminist group opposed to the relaxation of gender self-ID laws.

The national force was accused of a “chilling” attack on free speech after announcing it was probing the matter as a “hate” crime.

Officers in Kirkcaldy also urged members of the public to contact them or Fife Council if locals saw any more “controversial stickers”.

Without specifying the nature of the controversy.

The move came after cops were alerted to “Women won’t wheesht” stickers that had been placed on lampposts in Kirkcaldy, promoting activists For Women Scotland.

Following the backlash, Police Scotland deleted the tweet with a senior sources saying it was “poorly worded”.

Well it was, because of the failure to describe the stickers beyond the one word “controversial” while asking the public to report them all the same. It would have tied up all the phones and computers for years.

Police also denied its move was connected to the SNP’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Act – which became law last month.

The force said it had not yet been given new powers under the legislation, which sparked concerns about freedom of speech during its passage through Holyrood.

Great, so they’re going to be even worse.

SNP MP and feminist campaigner Joanna Cherry QC suggested the apparent clampdown on a women’s group could mean police risk unlawfully victimising women or people who believe that the gender self-ID push is wrong.

She said: “The onus is on Kirkcaldy police to explain why they were concerning themselves with stickers which they deemed controversial as opposed to criminal.

“The deletion of their tweet would indicate that they now accept this was not an appropriate use of police time.

“The police should be mindful that as a public authority they are bound by the Public Sector Equality Duty to foster good relations between all the protected characteristics under the Equality Act and not to discriminate, harass or victimise any person or group because of their protected characteristic.

“The protected characteristics include sex, sexual orientation and belief as well as gender reassignment.”

Got that???

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