The woman accused of being first to spread the fake rumours about the Southport killer which sparked nationwide riots has been arrested.

Racist riots spread across the country after misinformation spread on social media claiming the fatal stabbing was carried out by Ali Al-Shakati, believed to be a fictitious name, a Muslim aslyum seeker who was on an MI6 watchlist.

A 55-year-old woman from Chester has now been arrested on suspicion of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred, and false communication. She remains in police custody.

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.

  • aidan@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    “If that’s true” pretty clearly implies skepticism. She wasn’t stating a theorem. She was conversing.

    • davidagain@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      You’re not prepared to change your mind, you’d rather contradict literally thousands of years of logical thinking. 2+2=3. Got it. I really really wasted my time talking to you.

      • aidan@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        I read what I read. I’m not saying it’s definitely what she meant, but if it’s how I interpreted it, it may be what she meant. Language after all is largely fluid, and not a mathematical equation. But sure, just insult me instead.

        • davidagain@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          But sure, just insult me instead

          OK, you’re a right winger who spends his time online defending racist liars who post inflammatory lies stirring up hatred and violence in my country and you won’t listen to reason and literally deny logic.

          • aidan@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            you won’t listen to reason and literally deny logic.

            Your reasoning is that that is the phrasing in formal logic. My point is how people converse doesn’t necessarily follow formal logic. So that may not be what she meant. I can’t say she definitely meant what I said- but that is the impression I got. And as I said if it’s how I as a fluent English speaker interpreted it, then it may also be how she meant it.

            • davidagain@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              You missed this bit:

              you’re a right winger who spends his time online defending racist liars who post inflammatory lies stirring up hatred and violence in my country

              And I think I know why you’re spending the best part of a week online defending racist liars.

              • aidan@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                What am I supposed to say “no you insulting and attacking me isn’t true”. Like Chomsky said “The person who throws the mud always wins. Because there’s no way of responding to such charges.” All I said is the way I read it they’re saying “if this is true” which is inherently questioning it. That may not be what they meant, I can’t read their mind. But yes go ahead and insult me, there’s not point in me denying it and you know that, that’s why you said the insult.

                • davidagain@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  I insulted you because you invited me to and I found it so hard to resist, but actually, I just said

                  OK, you’re a right winger who spends his time online defending racist liars who post inflammatory lies stirring up hatred and violence in my country and you won’t listen to reason and literally deny logic.

                  Which was all very factual. So no, you’re not claiming it isn’t true because I kept it so factual, I didn’t feel you needed any more insulting than the straight up facts about our conversation. But then I afterwards went for an insult for which the evidence wouldn’t stand up in court for here:

                  And I think I know why you’re spending the best part of a week online defending racist liars.

                  And here you go again with the invitation:

                  But yes go ahead and insult me, there’s not point in me denying it

                  (Because it’s true, of course), and because you find it so hard to follow really, really simple, millennia-old logic like “A is true. If A is true B is true. Hence B is true”, I’ll spell the conclusion out for you: you support racist liars online because you yourself are a racist liar.

                  • aidan@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    Okay so you’re just trolling, sorry not going to engage. Hope your week gets better so you don’t feel like this is a good use of your time. Bye