Man Convicted for Twitter Rant Loses Court Case, Wins Free-Speech Supporters
A British man convicted of sending a menacing communication for a Twitter rant lost a bid to overturn his conviction last week, but gained supporters who posted Twitter threats to show their solidarity.
On Thursday a judge in Doncaster, England, refused to overturn the conviction of Paul Chambers, who was 26 last January when he denounced a snowstorm that shut down an airport, the New York Times reports.
The trouble began for Chambers when he expressed frustration that the airport had closed a week before he was scheduled to fly to Ireland to see his girlfriend. “Robin Hood Airport is closed,” he tweeted. “You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s**t together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!”
After Chambers’ latest courtroom loss, some supporters began raising money for an appeal, the Times says. Others showed support by posting the tweet that led to Chambers’ conviction or threatening to blow up other places and people. Among the named targets: Robin Hood the person, Downing Street, the town of Doncaster, the courtroom, and the entire universe.
