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Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

Summary: Two teenagers appeared in court today in connection with messages they posted on Facebook allegedly encouraging people to riot in the UK.

Emil Protalinski

By for Friending Facebook |

Update: 10 more have been arrested.

Scotland Yard vowed to track down and arrest protesters who posted "really inflammatory, inaccurate" messages on Facebook, and now it has delivered. Two teenagers appeared in court today in connection with messages posted on Facebook allegedly encouraging people to start rioting.

16-year-old Alexander McQuarrie showed up at Glasgow Sheriff Court today after being arrested on Tuesday afternoon following an operation by Strathclyde Police in Ibrox, Glasgow. He was charged with encouraging others to riot in the city and accused of breaching the peace by creating a Facebook Group.

18-year-old Liam Allan appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court under similar accusations. He was arrested in connection with Facebook posts encouraging others to show up in Dundee city centre with weapons and cause disturbances.

The police is of course still working to identify others who may be inciting people to cause public disorder. The BBC reports social networks are being monitored closely and "decisive action" will be taken to prevent violence.

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  • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

    It seems to me this article is missing example images of the facebook posts so we can judge their criminality. Not doing so makes this article boring.
    lschw1
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1 Do you need pictures of a corpse whenever someone is charged with murder so you can 'judge their criminality'?
      npchilds@...
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @npchilds@... yeah....because that's the same thing...
        ColdFusion_z
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @npchilds@...

        Context~ They are being charged with inciting a riot. The London police are having a hard time wrapping their heads around social networking and are looking for ways of controlling the flow of information.
        We need the post to put things in context. If he posted something like "Yo free TVs @ Macy's let'g go!" then there is no way I would judge that as inciting a riot.
        Also, to use your example of needing a photo, proof of death is generally required to get a murder conviction. In this case, along with the quote, I would be interested in how many people actually viewed their posts. This would go a long way towards proving whether or not he played any part in getting people to riot.
        It's entirely possible that some or all are being made examples of.
        Agozyen
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @npchilds@...

        "Really inflammatory, inaccurate information" is up to interpretation. Whether or not a body is dead most often isn't.
        Pennybags
        Reply Vote

    • You're totally right!

      @lschw1 It's easy for police and reporters to characterize others' words as ?really inflammatory, inaccurate? messages.

      But I like hard evidence. The Web is alive with allegations and unsupported clap-trap. Journalists today need to document more thoroughly. They are no longer trusted as they once were.

      I don't disbelieve the police. I just want to know what message content is--in today's world of Web wackos wielding wildly worded weapons of mass misinformation--considered ?really inflammatory, [and] inaccurate.?
      archetuthus
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        As a Journalist myself, I must say...<br>I TOTALLY AGREE!!!<br>Wish Uncle Walt (Walter Cronkite Jr) was here with us now to report the state of affairs.
        SocratesMentor
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1 The police are not about to make public sub judice evidence and blow any chance of a successful prosecution.
      bargeemike
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1

      the article is informing us, not asking "We" to judge.
      Only the law courts, and apparently Nancy Grace can judge.
      geminixx
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        Is she (Nancy Grace) still alive? I thought she was killed in the last allied bombing that killed the 2nd in command of the Al Quida last week?!
        SocratesMentor
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      What I find interesting is, when people used Facebook and Twitter in Egypt, Syria, Libya and the rest of the middle-east, they were labeled as 'freedom fighters', 'liberators', 'rebels', etc. When kids and adults do it in the western countries, we label them as terrorists... hhhmmm...<br><br>While I think the atrocious rioting, looting, turning over of cars and burning of businesses by bored 'futbol' hooligans and the like very wrong... maybe the rest of the people's unrest might be attributed to the fact they are tired of having their taxes being squandered away by incompetent elitists.<br><br>More oppression by law enforcement may not work in the long run if the government continues to ignore the wishes of it's people.... for whom they are supposed to serve... even in a monarchy.

      But then again... we arrest people for dancing in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. ... you know... the guy who helped write the US Constitution and Bill of Rights giving us 'Freedom'

      Is it me, or does anyone else think we might be seeing a man spraying 'V' for Vendetta on the government walls (NOTE: referencing a movie called V...not 'inciting' anyone to do so.)

      (knock knock) I'll be right back...someone's at the door.
      SocratesMentor
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @SocratesMentor
        Only right wing politicians are allowed to threaten violence, anybody else gets arrested.
        mswift@...
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @SocratesMentor 100% This! In the Middle East we've seen "revolutions" but when it happens in our own back yard it's "criminal riots and looting". I am un-convinced that "kids stealing TV's" has managed to maintain just destructive momentum and I await the "truth" to come out in the media. The interesting thing on THIS article are it's implications for free speech online. I've made throw away comments on facebook about the riots. Should I also expect a knock at the door? If I made those same comments at a BBQ with some mates, should someone dob me into the authorities?
        eLearner
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @SocratesMentor <br>From Cameron's tone, he is trying to appease the public after the horror. The police will definitely try to do the same to compensate for their mediocre performance. However, both are treating the symptoms but not the malaise. <br><br>I was shocked to learn that the banking sector of the UK is responsible for 16% of the GDP. The banking sector should not make more than 5% of the GDP. The rest should come from other sectors that create real jobs. <br><br>Nowadays, politicians are selcted like you select an FMCG (toothpaste, fizzy drinks, chocolate, lady nappies etc.) through ads and commercials. Once they get to the top, they fall for the pressures of the big guys in the different industries, media companies, and bankers (assuming no self-interest is involved).
        Nahres
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @SocratesMentor The difference between a state like libya and England is that one has an elected government and the other is a dictatorship. you're right about squandered taxes, these people don't pay taxes. They are on the government dole. Freedom does not negate responsiblity, you can't dance in the middle of the street either.
        dougbeer
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

        @mswift@... Actually a more accurate statement would be no matter what the right wing politicians say the left wing politicians will claim they are racists and inciting violence.
        non-biased
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      :O
      SocratesMentor
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1 It's a good thing that that's not what this article is for...
      pv1
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1 Is it because you don't want to be on the jury? I wished I hadn't read the article now as they might exclude me for being too biased. If you want to read what they said, add them as a friend or go to the courthouse when they are put on trail. Or maybe wikileaks, freedom of information act, CNN... will get you better results.
      dbisse@...
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Two teenagers arrested for Facebook posts inciting UK riots

      @lschw1 Unless you are the judge that he is facing not sure where you presume to be able to decide if he committed a crime or not.
      non-biased
      Reply Vote
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