I stand by my original post. You're just one election away from "not doing anything wrong" to being arrested.
Has everyone already forgotten about 5 years ago? Are your memories THAT short?
United Kingdom
The Derbyshire "Blue Water" Drones
Police in Derbyshire used drones to track down two women walking separately in a remote countryside area, then posted the footage online as a deterrent. The women were miles apart, completely alone, and the police force publicly shamed them for "exercising" near a beauty spot. When the footage surfaced of officers dying blue dye into a lagoon to prevent swimming, the absurdity became international news.
The Woman Arrested for Sitting on a Bench
A woman in Bournemouth was arrested and handcuffed for the crime of sitting on a park bench reading a book. She wasn't near anyone. She wasn't protesting. She was literally just sitting. The arrest was captured on video and went viral.
Two Women Fined for Hugging
Two friends who hadn't seen each other in months hugged in a park. Police issued them both £200 fines. Meanwhile, politicians were attending garden parties.
The Child's Lemonade Stand
A father and his young daughter were threatened with arrest and fines for operating a lemonade stand on their own property. The police claimed it constituted an unlicensed business and violated lockdown rules. A child selling 50p cups of lemonade.
United States
The Father Playing Catch with His Daughter
A man in Idaho was arrested for taking his daughter to a closed playground to play catch. Police booked him on misdemeanor charges. He wasn't protesting. He wasn't in a crowd. Just a father and daughter with a baseball.
The Surfer in Malibu
A man was arrested at gunpoint by LAPD for surfing alone in the ocean. Armed officers on the beach, weapons drawn, for a man on a surfboard. The optics were so bad the DA declined to prosecute.
The Kayaker
In California, a man kayaking alone in the Pacific was arrested by harbor patrol and charged with violating stay-at-home orders. He was literally in the middle of the ocean.
The Pastor Arrested for Drive-In Church
Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne in Florida was arrested for holding drive-in church services where attendees stayed in their cars with windows up. He was charged with unlawful assembly and violating public health orders. The charges were later dropped.
San Diego Protester Arrests
Two organizers of a small anti-lockdown protest were arrested and held on $50,000 bail each — more than many violent offenders face. The DA eventually dropped the charges, but not before they spent time in jail.
The Hairdresser
Shelley Luther, a Texas salon owner, was arrested and sentenced to seven days in jail for reopening her salon. A judge offered to reduce the sentence if she apologized. She refused. She became a folk hero and the Texas Supreme Court ultimately ordered her release.
Australia
The Pregnant Woman Arrested for a Social Media Post
A pregnant woman in Victoria was arrested by counter-terrorism police at her home in front of her children for posting on Facebook about an anti-lockdown protest she planned to attend. She hadn't actually attended anything. She was charged with incitement.
The Man Tasered for Not Wearing a Mask
A man in a regional Victorian town was tasered by police after he refused to wear a mask while walking alone on a near-empty street. The video shows him backing away from officers with his hands up when they deployed the taser.
Canada
The Pastor and the Church Services
Pastor James Coates in Alberta was arrested and spent over a month in jail for holding church services. His church had implemented COVID protocols including distancing and capacity limits, but Alberta's restrictions on religious gatherings were so severe that even that wasn't enough. He was held in solitary confinement for part of his detention.
The Pastor Who Was Fined More Than a Mass Murderer
Pastor Artur Pawlowski in Calgary was fined over $23,000 for holding outdoor church services. For comparison, a convicted mass murderer in Canada faced a lower fine for entirely unrelated offenses, and some violent offenders walked with fines smaller than what was levied against peaceful worshippers.
Germany
The Child's Birthday Party
In Bavaria, police broke up a 4-year-old's birthday party and fined the family. The guests were a handful of other children from the same apartment building. The family was also threatened with having the child taken into protective custody.
France
Joggers Fined
During France's strict lockdown, you needed a signed government permission form to leave your house. People were fined €135 for jogging too far from home, for walking their dog at the wrong time of day, or for forgetting their papers. One man was fined for jogging at 6:45 am — 15 minutes before the permitted exercise window opened.
Italy
The Man Walking His Dog 200 Meters
A man in Italy was fined €280 for walking his dog too far from home. He had gone approximately 200 meters. The dog, one assumes, was indifferent to the legal proceedings.
New Zealand
The Man Who Drove 5km to Surf
A man was arrested for driving 5 kilometers from his home to go surfing alone. New Zealand's lockdown prohibited "non-essential travel" and solitary surfing was deemed a non-essential activity. The charges were eventually dismissed.
The common thread across all of these: zero COVID transmission risk in any of these scenarios, yet police resources were deployed, lives disrupted, and criminal records created. Meanwhile, actual violent crime clearance rates in many of these jurisdictions dropped during the same period. The enforcement apparatus had found a new, compliant target population: ordinary people going about their lives.
Has everyone already forgotten about 5 years ago? Are your memories THAT short?
United Kingdom
The Derbyshire "Blue Water" Drones
Police in Derbyshire used drones to track down two women walking separately in a remote countryside area, then posted the footage online as a deterrent. The women were miles apart, completely alone, and the police force publicly shamed them for "exercising" near a beauty spot. When the footage surfaced of officers dying blue dye into a lagoon to prevent swimming, the absurdity became international news.
The Woman Arrested for Sitting on a Bench
A woman in Bournemouth was arrested and handcuffed for the crime of sitting on a park bench reading a book. She wasn't near anyone. She wasn't protesting. She was literally just sitting. The arrest was captured on video and went viral.
Two Women Fined for Hugging
Two friends who hadn't seen each other in months hugged in a park. Police issued them both £200 fines. Meanwhile, politicians were attending garden parties.
The Child's Lemonade Stand
A father and his young daughter were threatened with arrest and fines for operating a lemonade stand on their own property. The police claimed it constituted an unlicensed business and violated lockdown rules. A child selling 50p cups of lemonade.
United States
The Father Playing Catch with His Daughter
A man in Idaho was arrested for taking his daughter to a closed playground to play catch. Police booked him on misdemeanor charges. He wasn't protesting. He wasn't in a crowd. Just a father and daughter with a baseball.
The Surfer in Malibu
A man was arrested at gunpoint by LAPD for surfing alone in the ocean. Armed officers on the beach, weapons drawn, for a man on a surfboard. The optics were so bad the DA declined to prosecute.
The Kayaker
In California, a man kayaking alone in the Pacific was arrested by harbor patrol and charged with violating stay-at-home orders. He was literally in the middle of the ocean.
The Pastor Arrested for Drive-In Church
Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne in Florida was arrested for holding drive-in church services where attendees stayed in their cars with windows up. He was charged with unlawful assembly and violating public health orders. The charges were later dropped.
San Diego Protester Arrests
Two organizers of a small anti-lockdown protest were arrested and held on $50,000 bail each — more than many violent offenders face. The DA eventually dropped the charges, but not before they spent time in jail.
The Hairdresser
Shelley Luther, a Texas salon owner, was arrested and sentenced to seven days in jail for reopening her salon. A judge offered to reduce the sentence if she apologized. She refused. She became a folk hero and the Texas Supreme Court ultimately ordered her release.
Australia
The Pregnant Woman Arrested for a Social Media Post
A pregnant woman in Victoria was arrested by counter-terrorism police at her home in front of her children for posting on Facebook about an anti-lockdown protest she planned to attend. She hadn't actually attended anything. She was charged with incitement.
The Man Tasered for Not Wearing a Mask
A man in a regional Victorian town was tasered by police after he refused to wear a mask while walking alone on a near-empty street. The video shows him backing away from officers with his hands up when they deployed the taser.
Canada
The Pastor and the Church Services
Pastor James Coates in Alberta was arrested and spent over a month in jail for holding church services. His church had implemented COVID protocols including distancing and capacity limits, but Alberta's restrictions on religious gatherings were so severe that even that wasn't enough. He was held in solitary confinement for part of his detention.
The Pastor Who Was Fined More Than a Mass Murderer
Pastor Artur Pawlowski in Calgary was fined over $23,000 for holding outdoor church services. For comparison, a convicted mass murderer in Canada faced a lower fine for entirely unrelated offenses, and some violent offenders walked with fines smaller than what was levied against peaceful worshippers.
Germany
The Child's Birthday Party
In Bavaria, police broke up a 4-year-old's birthday party and fined the family. The guests were a handful of other children from the same apartment building. The family was also threatened with having the child taken into protective custody.
France
Joggers Fined
During France's strict lockdown, you needed a signed government permission form to leave your house. People were fined €135 for jogging too far from home, for walking their dog at the wrong time of day, or for forgetting their papers. One man was fined for jogging at 6:45 am — 15 minutes before the permitted exercise window opened.
Italy
The Man Walking His Dog 200 Meters
A man in Italy was fined €280 for walking his dog too far from home. He had gone approximately 200 meters. The dog, one assumes, was indifferent to the legal proceedings.
New Zealand
The Man Who Drove 5km to Surf
A man was arrested for driving 5 kilometers from his home to go surfing alone. New Zealand's lockdown prohibited "non-essential travel" and solitary surfing was deemed a non-essential activity. The charges were eventually dismissed.
The common thread across all of these: zero COVID transmission risk in any of these scenarios, yet police resources were deployed, lives disrupted, and criminal records created. Meanwhile, actual violent crime clearance rates in many of these jurisdictions dropped during the same period. The enforcement apparatus had found a new, compliant target population: ordinary people going about their lives.
