A blogger has criticized British police following his arrest for posting a social media meme that stated, “F— Hamas.”
Pete North, 47, recorded officers at his Yorkshire residence in the U.K. on September 25, who informed him he was being held because he had “posted something on the internet” that a member of their hate crime unit “didn’t appreciate.”
The footage reveals an officer stating that North was being taken into custody “on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to stir up racial hatred.”
The specific post, shared by North on X in August, displayed a Palestinian flag accompanied by the text: “F— Palestine. F— Hamas. F— Islam. Want to protest? F— off to Muslim country and protest.”
North confirmed that despite the meme containing offensive references to Palestine and Islam, officers during the station interview seemed primarily concerned with the segment targeting Hamas.
“The interviewing officer began by saying, ‘Firstly, let’s discuss the meme. You posted a meme that stated f— Hamas,’” North recounted to the British publication.
“I responded, ‘Yes, I did post a meme that stated f— Hamas, because Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization internationally, including in Britain’.”
He further stated: “I then inquired, ‘To ensure we’re aligned, are you aware of who Hamas is?’ And he simply… shook his head. He appeared completely bewildered. If you intend to arrest individuals for memes, you likely need to be more informed about current events.”
North informed The Telegraph that he pressed the officer about his awareness of Hamas’s atrocities, specifically mentioning the October 7th attacks. “He was entirely unaware,” North asserted.
Following several hours of questioning, North was released without any charges.
“I firmly believe that the political cartoons and memes I share on social media are not the concern of the police,” North stated.
“No one should be subjected to police investigations for sharing memes on Twitter. The primary objective of this action is not to secure convictions, but rather to intimidate individuals like myself into reconsidering the posting of provocative memes,” he concluded.
North Yorkshire Police confirmed the apprehension, informing UK media: “A 47-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of publishing or distributing written material intended to incite racial hatred. He has been released under investigation as inquiries proceed.”
Digital has contacted North Yorkshire Police for a statement.