…Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
Sarah Phillimore writes of her experiences of being branded an ‘anti-Semite’ and a ‘transphobe’, the bizarre behaviour of Twitter, her attempts to seek legal remedy, and her concerns about the corrosive consequences of all this for public debate on matters of great importance, as well as the impact on women’s physical safety.
I have reasonable grounds to believe that everything I say in this post is true and fair comment on matters of public interest. If Mr Paisley and Ms Blackman disagree they may of course take me to court. I welcome further investigation of all these matters on the most public stage possible. They are matters of vital importance to the continuing health of our society and our democracy.
On 25th January 2021 I was suspended permanently from Twitter for this:
“I have a pretty good idea I know exactly who Frank is. One of his group was convicted for harassing me. I just have to be patient and they will author their own misfortune soon enough.”
Before, I received two 12 hour suspensions for similarly innocuous comments.
Jan 14th: “O I am sure he will. I usually get at least one amusing complaint every few months”
Jan 15th: ”You Whore of Babylon! Put those tempting limbs away! Lest I am overcome. #wheresmysandwich”.
Twitter emailed me on January 28th 2021 — they reviewed my suspension, had made a mistake and my account would be restored. But it wasn’t.
A few days later Twitter asserted I was suspended for attempting to evade permanent suspension. This made no sense. I appealed again. On 17th February Twitter said @SVPhillimore would remain suspended for violation of rules against setting up multiple accounts for abusive purposes. I didn’t understand this either. Twitter had confirmed @SVPhillimore had been wrongly suspended, and a second account @SarahPhillimor2 had been set up prior to suspension in December 2020 and was dormant and not abusive. I raised further polite query. Twitter replied to say @SVPhillimore would not be restored due to ‘multiple breaches’ and I must not contact them again. On 23rd February Twitter then restored both accounts without any further communication to me or my solicitors, who had written to them on February 22nd.
It is thus
This organisation appears to be unaccountable and has not responded, so far as we know, to any complaints or question about their behaviour.
We hope other people will complain. Please let us know what the outcome is. We think this is unacceptable behaviour from any organisation that promotes itself as connected with the police.
Some details omitted for clarity and brevity and to protect the personal details of the complainant.
*Which police force/organisation is your complaint about?
lgbt.police.uk Twitter account @LGBTpoliceuk
*What would you like to happen as a result of your complaint?
That any accounts on social media be maintained by named persons with accountability for content, that they be rigorously monitored for factual accuracy and lawful content. That thorough vetting procedures for social media employment appointments be undertaken and strict procedures be created for said appointees, to include disciplinary actions for failure to meet standards. That these standards should be made available for public scrutiny.
That the Twitter account @LGBTpoliceuk in particular be suspended pending investigation of any persons involved.
An acknowledgement that the public have lost confidence in the police to maintain standards of professional behaviour and by extension the agreement that the philosophy of “policing by common consent” has been severely damaged. That a commitment will be made to undertake thorough investigations of the undue influence of Stonewall and Stonewall’s values in often biased or incorrect interpretation of the law in police policies, management and workplace culture.
This influence has clearly pervaded and resulted in inaccurate and unlawful content on social media output, and I further request that these investigations be extended to cover all LGBTQ social media accounts affiliated/associated with the police.
Do you believe the incident you are complaining about involved discrimination? Discrimination refers to being treated differently because of who you are or because you possess certain characteristics. Please add an ‘X’ next to your answer.
X Yes
If you believe discrimination was involved in the incident you are complaining about, please mark one or more of the characteristics involved with an
It wasn’t my hashtag. But I wish it had been. I wish I had the ovaries not just to think it, but say it.
I accept that it upset and horrified many and gave too easy a target for those numerous anonymous accounts who like to mutter and jeer from the sidelines. So it was right to reflect and apologise.
But we do need to talk about hate — what it means and what we do about it.
On Friday a tweet from Fair Cop provoked a heated reaction on Twitter with many accusing us of “embracing hatred”. This blog is Rob Jessel’s personal view on the matter.
Hatred is the worst of all human emotions. It destroys relationships, causes chaos and destruction to others; saddest of all, it hurts the hater just as much as the object of their animosity.
Gandhi had a good line about anger, hatred’s close cousin, which applies just as well: holding onto these emotions is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.
With the Law Commission of England and Wales’ announcement of a public consultation into hate crime, the public will have a chance to have their say on whether misogyny should be considered a hate crime.
Our public institutions remain captured, and none more so than the police. In this blog, a serving police officer and co-founder of Fair Cop explains the grim reality of what happens when gender ideology permeates the police.
The Government has recently announced an inquiry into judicial review. Although the Chair of that Inquiry says it’s ‘impossible’ that judicial review will be abolished, we are all now a bit wary of emphatic promises from politicians. What is judicial review and why should you care? Fair Cop explains why.
It’s not just the police that get captured. In workplaces up and down the country, Stonewall is providing ideological “training” to employees, pushing its unique brand of bullying, pseudoscience and compelled speech under the guise of inclusivity. In our latest blog, an anonymous Fair Copper shines a light on what it’s like to undergo Stonewall re-education at work.
Fair Cop issues the following Thought Warning to any critical thinkers in the Avon and Somerset region: Don’t speak out loud without first checking the Stonewall Glossary. Because your Assistant Chief Constable is on a mission.
Barrister Sarah Phillimore writes about how an enquiry to her local police force revealed an unpleasant surprise about what they had recorded against her name and why she hopes the Supreme Court will declare the Hate Crime Operational Guidance unlawful.
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