Scotland: East of Pluto

There might always be an England but there is a good possibility that Scotland will be self-imploding. Actually, I found the whole knife/sword ban in Scotland to be on the outer fringe of reason as it were, but when the Scottish police perceive the need to issue a charge against a football player for making the sign of the cross on a football pitch under the assumption that it is an act designed to provoke and incite a riot; I think it’s reasonable to assume that Scottish society has let go of the railings of sanity. Taken from the BBC:

Artur Boruc was cautioned for a breach of the peace over the incident at an Old Firm match at Ibrox in February. The Catholic Church called it "worrying and alarming" as the sign of the cross was a "gesture of religious reverence". However, the Crown Office said the decision was based on the player's behaviour, rather than a single act.

In addition to crossing himself, the player was alleged to have made gestures to the crowd at the start of the second half of the game on 12 February. Strathclyde Police investigated complaints that Boruc, 26, had angered a section of the crowd with his behaviour and they submitted a report to the procurator fiscal. However, as an alternative to prosecution, Boruc was cautioned. That does not leave him with a criminal record, although the information about the caution will be retained. The Crown Office said his actions "provoked alarm and crowd trouble and as such constituted a breach of the peace".

On Saturday, it said it had taken action "based on an assessment of behaviour, not one single act, which appeared to be directed towards the crowd which was being incited by that behaviour and which caused the police to intervene and calm the crowd". The Crown Office said a report had been sent to the fiscal as there were "clear guidelines" on the need for responsible behaviour from players taking part in such fixtures. "The procurator fiscal concluded that the effect of the behaviour of the player on the crowd was such as to require the consideration of criminal proceedings," it said.

Witness statements and the video of the crowd's reactions were examined, but the incident itself was not caught on camera. "The procurator fiscal concluded that it was necessary to bring clearly to the player's attention that conduct which involved gesticulating at and incensing the crowd at a football match amounted to the offence of breach of the peace and was unacceptable," said the Crown Office.

"The procurator fiscal took the view that in the circumstances criminal proceedings were not necessary on this occasion, which is why it was dealt with by way of an alternative to prosecution." However, Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Church, said the move to caution Boruc was "regrettable".

What amazes me is why a crowd at a football match would care if a player publicly crossed himself and then made a pulling gesture at his crotch to the crowd? And yet, this is what passes for provoking and inciting a crowd to riot and will get one “cautioned” by the police. Geez, what on earth would have happened if Boruc wore a kippah? I’d say the Rights were lucky to get out while they could.