He Didn't Know Hamas
UK Police Clueless: The Moment Blogger Discovered His Investigator Never Heard of Hamas
British blogger arrested for anti-Hamas post discovers investigating officer had no knowledge of Hamas or October 7 attacks, sparking debate on police competency and free speech.
A British blogger was arrested at his home in Yorkshire last week after sharing a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that contained explicit anti-Hamas and anti-Palestine rhetoric, an incident that has ignited a firestorm over policing and freedom of speech in the UK.
Pete North, 47, was detained for sharing a post that read:
"To hell with Palestine. To hell with Hamas. To hell with Islam. Want to protest? Go to a Muslim country and protest there."
Arrest on Suspicion of "Incitement"
North filmed the moments of his arrest, a video that has since circulated widely and sparked outrage across the Kingdom. In the footage, police officers explained that he was being arrested for "publishing something on the internet" that was flagged by a member of the hate crime team.
One officer told North he was suspected of "publishing or distributing written material intended to incite racial hatred."
Detective Allegedly Unaware of Hamas and Oct. 7
Speaking to The Telegraph, North recounted that police interrogation centered on the portion of the post referencing Hamas. North explained his reasoning during the investigation:
"I published it because Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization worldwide, including in the UK."
North stated he was "stunned" to discover that the investigating detective appeared to be completely unfamiliar with the terrorist organization.
"I asked him, 'Do you know who Hamas is?' and he shook his head," North told the British newspaper. "If you are arresting people over memes, you should be a little more in the know."
He added that even when he specifically mentioned the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas, the investigator "had no idea" what he was referring to.
Blogger Claims "Intimidation"
After several hours of questioning, North was released from custody under restrictive conditions. While no charges have been filed, police confirmed that he is still required for further investigation and that the inquiry remains ongoing.
The blogger was defiant upon his release, framing the arrest as an attack on free expression.
"What I publish as political cartoons or memes on social media is none of the police's business," North asserted. "No one should have to undergo an investigation for publishing memes on Twitter. The whole purpose here is not to convict, but to intimidate people like me so they don't publish sharp things."