Woman 'who first shared lies that sparked UK riots' arrested

While she has not been named in the police statement about the arrest, it is believed to be Bonnie Spofforth

This, I don't like. If you - the newspaper, the means of information - are not sure about a name you should really refrain from using it.

It would be not the first time people get their lives ruined by some careless journalist because of a namesake or just an error.

It's not that different from "spreading rumors".

That aside, in this case, it is probably a rumor from an inside source. Still. Not a fan.

You know what I don’t give a flying fuck about? Her being a mother of three. Why is this sympathy baiting bullshit in an article about a woman who helped incite violent racist riots all over the country?

Maybe she should have thought about her kids before being a conservative.

Oh man, we need some of that shit in the US. Arrest these right wing media nut jobs and their Jewish laser bullshit.

Wow. That would be a first that spreading misinformation actually has legal consequences.

Good, fuck Nazis.

Surprisingly balanced and civil discussions in these comments. Super proud to be here 💪 this would not happen elsewhere

Social media is a huge fucking problem. Maybe not as serious as climate change, but people are dying because of a few bad faith actors. Something needs to be done but I'm not sure what.

While she has not been named in the police statement about the arrest, it is believed to be Bonnie Spofforth, a mother-of-three and the managing director of a clothing company.

They really shouldn't be naming people like that without being sure of it. "Believing" isn't knowing and if it's not her, then she could be in for a lot harassment online and offline.

As much as this behavior is appalling, blaming it on one individual is absurd. Social networks provide incentives to lie and stir people up, it can even be profitable. As long as that's the reality, there will be lies that cause riots.

One thing that isn't really touched on because it never got published is that Spofforth has been an active organizer for the far right since 2020. Since then she has been active in anti Drag Queen Story Hour harrasment and targeting hotels. Another example is Yorkshire Rose (Amanda Smith) who has been doing the exact same but to a larger extent.

My main concern is that these fascist agitators have been placed into prisons with people of colour and leftwing activists for an extended period of time.

I hope all people suffereing from the rampage by this mob will sue this woman for damages.

I would like to suggest that Rwanda would be an appropriate place to serve her sentence.

Good. She deserves it.

Karens been lying fr centuries but becuase middle aged white woman can do no wrong, many people got killed or imprisoned over it.

Only now has society admitted that they lying a lot for stupid reasons like racism or just BC fuck you due to camera phones...

Similar to the story with cops. About time botha team held accountable for exploiting the system.

Media Bias Fact Check | bot support

Everyone here who's cheering this on is missing the point.

Does this person and the other agitators, suck? Yes. Are they vile? Yes.

But putting aside the morality of the UK's lack of free speech, the press and politicians, including the current Labour administration are you using these arrests to pretend that they had no culpability.

Don't think this begins and ends with the Daily Mail and Farage. Starmer made his bones on being anti immigrant just the same, including giving speeches about this shit in the last few weeks.

So if you really do believe in the UK's police state approach to speech for commoners, than at least taken to account that the very rags you're reading while they clutch their pearls, and you all cheer, are in fact the original culprits and exponentially more guilty than any dipshits they've arrested, or will arrest.

Yeah the islamists roaming around with machetes aren't a problem. Oi u got a license for that tweet?

Spofforth, 55, posted the false claim at 4.49pm on Monday, July 29, the day of the attack, saying: ‘Ali Al-Shakati was the suspect, he was an asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat last year and was on an MI6 watch list. If this is true, then all hell is about to break loose.’

Not defending this woman, but as an American, the thought of being arrested for lying on the internet (or repeating a rumor, as she claims) seems insane.

Thin line between opinion, free speech, and a lie. I do not want to follow the example being set in Europe. This is the road that leads to authoritarian rule. Who defines truth, hate speech, and opinion. When the other side wins an election are you now the criminal? Will different truths exist in red and blue states? City and rural? No thank you.

Exactly what lies did she spread? Has anyone actually have proof of the killer's race and/or religion? This ALL would have been avoided if the police were truthful and forthcoming about the details of the case. "Minorities" are actually dangerously close to becoming the majority in most White/first world nations.