Police remove David Cameron 'wanker' poster, Man claims Metropolitan police officers handcuffed him in his home on election day and removed 'offensive' window poster

David Hoffman describes being handcuffed by police for displaying a poster deemed offensive by a neighbour WARNING: contains explicit language Link to this video

A man who placed a poster of David Cameron containing the word "wanker" in his window has described how police handcuffed him in his home on election day, threatened him with arrest, and forcibly removed what they said was offensive campaign literature.

David Hoffman, 63, said police went "completely over the top" when they visited his home in Bow, east London, and demanded he take down the poster, which had been fixed to his window for weeks.

After he expressed concern at his treatment, Hoffman says, a local inspector told him over the phone that "any reasonable person" would find his poster "alarming, harassing or distressful". The visit from police followed a complaint from a neighbour, who told Hoffman she found the poster offensive. The word "wanker" was printed beneath a photograph of a smiling Cameron.

Police discuss the free speech issues surrounding use of 'offensive' language WARNING: contains explicit language Link to this audio

Hoffman said four officers knocked on his door on polling day. When asked by them for identification, he said he tried to momentarily close the door. The officers then forced the door open, he said.

"They burst into my house, pushed me back and handcuffed me. They said I had committed an offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act, I was being detained, and I might be arrested."

Coincidentally, Hoffman has become one of Britain's most respected photojournalists after three decades chronicling alleged police brutality. He said that after the officers looked up his identity, they "calmed down". But the poster, one of several images of party leaders produced by the veteran anarchist group Class War, was removed.

In a statement, the Metropolitan police denied officers forced their way into Hoffman's home and claimed he was "restrained with handcuffs to prevent a breach of the peace" after becoming agitated. It said that "words of advice were given to the resident … who removed the material".

Hoffman said he would lodge a formal complaint. He has since returned the poster to his window, but replaced the word "wanker" with "onanist", derived from a biblical character in Genesis 38:9 whose seed was "spilled on the ground".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/11/david-cameron-poster-police

Favorite

0 members favorited this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by InformedMindsAgainstNWO on May 12, 2010 at 1:43pm

One should not be harassed or intimidated for speaking the truth. The Demos trained Common Purpose lickspittle toff Cameron is a wanker.

Cruel to be kind.

Permalink Reply by Experienced Canadian on May 12, 2010 at 2:40pm

HE IS A WANKER!

Its not even that people who speak the truth that are being silenced, but anyone who speaks other than the 'standard' is being silenced. Anything opposed to the 'official' story is terrorism. People are being killed and threatined all because they try to help and spread the word. This is wrong! The only blood being spilled is that of the innocent and its sickening! I could not imagine being a polition openly opposing the nwo because I would never know those asshole communists would have me killed. Its sickening to see it and it happens all the time. It hapens in Media, Politics, Music (Tupac, Biggie, MJ), it happens in activists, journalists and exposists. Its sickening that anytime someone tries to expose these Devil corperations and thier deep web of coitus into the ass of the american perople, they are killed or silenced some other way. This fear causes true people who want to change the world for the good, to hide and fear the greats. WE NEED TO STOP THIS! STOP FEARING THEM WE ARE GREATER IN NUMBERS... if only we could speak out on a scale that would reach the people because ignorant idiots watch the tv as a source with no lies. NO NO they tell the real story. NO NO thats crazy the government loves us.Thats why they give out food stamps that are just rising the american debt that much fast.

Spread the word.

Permalink Reply by Tara on May 12, 2010 at 5:58pm

Yeah, this crazy Nanny/Police state shyte is getting more nutso by the day! Keep speaking the truth my UK friends, screw all wankers on both sides of the pond.....the bloody lot of them!

Permalink Reply by InformedMindsAgainstNWO on May 12, 2010 at 6:03pm

yeah, bring it on eton boy!

Cosmin of the Maris Family said: