A man from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was fined £250 for writing “Kill all Taigs” — a pejorative term for Catholics — and “Fuck The Pope” on social networking site Facebook on his 21st birthday last August. Dean Boyd admitted to police that he should not have posted the message — which he removed 20 minutes after doing so — but said it had only been intended for his friends and he had not intended to trigger hatred, the prosecution told Coleraine magistrates’ court. It is the first case of its kind in Northern Ireland involving sectarian abuse on a social networking site.
NEWS
Northern Ireland: Man fined for posting anti-Catholic abuse on Facebook
A man from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was fined £250 for writing “Kill all Taigs” — a pejorative term for Catholics — and “Fuck The Pope” on social networking site […]
By Marta Cooper
13 Apr 12
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At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.
But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.
If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.
At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.
But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.
If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.
At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.
But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.
If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.
At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.
But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.
If you believe in a future where voices aren’t silenced, help us protect it.
By Marta Cooper
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