Public Nuisance

Half a world away from Brisbane, 12 members of the media were assassinated because some Muslim extremists weren’t happy with cartoons that mocked their religion. Less than twelve hours later, a man wearing an “I’m with Stupid” t-shirt was arrested on the streets of Brisbane for waving at traffic while with a group of campaigning LNP members who were also waving at traffic. The charge: Public Nuisance. 

The man arrested is Brisbane twitter identity @Can_Do_Campbell, who has a long and memorable history of locking horns with LNP supporters online, but he is not known to be violent. Despite this, it took ten Queensland Police officers to arrest the gentleman in question. The arrest followed two complaints to the police, presumably from disconcerted LNP campaigners.

The arrest this morning raises many questions about behaviour on our footpaths, and about the conduct of political campaigns. It is common practice across Australia and the world for politicians to erect temporary signage on public roads, and to wave to traffic as they pass by the signs. Steve Minnikin, LNP Candidate for Chatsworth on Brisbane’s southside, had his team out waving at traffic yesterday. Are they to be arrested for being a Public Nuisance too?

Or is the problem the slogan on the T-shirt that the offender was wearing? “I’m with Stupid” is hardly a new concept. A quick google image search for “I’m with Stupid T-shirts” returned 16 million results. “I’m with Stupid” apparel can be purchased online from all good online retailers…and now, you can own your own “I’m with @Can_Do_Campbell, and he’s with Stupid” T-shirts. 

With CanDo’s arrest, the minor "nuisance" was 

removed from Brunswick Street, but the winner wasn’t the LNP’s campaigners. Nor was it the passers-by on the street, drivers on Brunswick Street, or even the Queensland Police Service. It was @Can_Do_Campbell himself whose mischievous sense of humour managed to make the LNP campaigners look petty, and the QPS look foolish, and get it all over the media. 

Meanwhile, the LNP's official campaign has lost traction, as the messages they want us to see are being drowned out by the fiasco of arresting a man in a novelty t-shirt.

The police over-reaction has even made the evening news, while Twitter went wild with comments about Queensland being a police state under Premier Newman - a return to the bad old days under Joh Bjelke-Petersen.  It’s embarrassing press for the LNP – a far better result than @Can_Do could have dreamed of when he donned his t-shirt this morning.

Of course, the issue at stake here is really about our freedom of expression. One man is arrested for mocking a few LNP campaigners who were waving at traffic, the Courier Mail gets away with running partisan stories and hysterical front pages, while 12 are assassinated in Paris for cartoons that mock their religion.

Can't we all just get along?

Update:

Queensland Chief of Police Ian Stewart has been asked numerous times today on twitter for his response to the arrest. He has also been asked if police witnessed him involved in a dangerous or criminal act, if so what the act was, and whether it is common. His response is at the right of the page.