Katie Hopkins Questioned by Police for ‘Inciting Racial Hatred’ Following ‘Vile’ Migrant Column
Mirror, August 3, 2015
Katie Hopkins has been questioned by police over an allegation of inciting racial hatred.
It comes after she shockingly compared migrants to “cockroaches” and insisted she “doesn’t care if migrants die while trying to leave their countries by boat”.
Metropolitan Police confirmed they’re investigating an article and questioned a 40-year-old woman over it, but she wasn’t arrested.
They said in a statement: “The Metropolitan Police Service received allegations of incitement of racial hatred following an article published on 17th April.
“The Special Enquiry Team of the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.
“On Thursday, 30 July, a 40-year-old woman attended a central London police station by appointment and was interviewed under caution. She was not arrested.”
The Society of Black Lawyers reported her directly to the Metropolitan Police Commissioners Office in April, shortly after reading the column.
An email from D. Peter Herbert O.B.E writes that Hopkins’ comments “are sadly some of the most offensive, xenophobic and racist comments I have read in a British newspaper for some years.”
It continues: These comments comparing the African migrants fleeing Libya to “cockroaches”, almost certainly all “trafficked” persons facing intimidation, violence and extortion at the point of departure represent some of the most vulnerable people in international law at the present time.
“Many will have legitimate claims for asylum under the 1951 Geneva Convention.”
He then calls on the matter to be investigated as he believes that due to the wide circulation of her comments the “propensity for racial violence against people of African descent in the UK is obvious”.
Meanwhile over 200,000 people have signed a petition to have Katie removed as a columnist.
It was set up on change.org by 22-year-old Izzy Saunders who writes: “We live in a forward thinking society and Katie Hopkins’ views should not be encouraged.”
Twitter users expressed outrage at the time over the comments.
One user tweeted: “Name me a more vile organism than Katie Hopkins? Fighting fire with fire but those “cockroaches” are more humane than she will ever be”
Another added: “Just read that article in the sun about Katie Hopkins and what she said about immigrants, she makes my blood boil.”
The former Celebrity Big Brother housemate appeared to be winning the public over after how she presented herself on the show, but it doesn’t seem to have been long-lasting.
On follower wrote: “Was starting to rate katie hopkins quite a bit but her article about the migrants on that boat is horrific – crossed the line tremendously (sic)”
Meanwhile, celebrities also got involved as her comments continued to offend.
Little Britain star Matt Lucas wrote: “Having read her latest article, it’s hard to think of anything left for Katie Hopkins to do now, other than to just kill some people.”
When someone tweeted Lucas saying Katie merely says what others think, he hit back: “She f**king doesn’t”.
While Piers Morgan tweeted: “On balance, I’d prefer to turn a gunship on @KTHopkins.”
“Don’t you think @KTHopkins used media and social to generate self publicity, in the same way you do? Outrage = publicity,” someone then tweeted.
“Causing outrage through racism/homophobia/bigotry is very different to expressing provocative opinion,” Morgan replied.
We’ve reached out to the police and Katie for comment.
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