The charges against Marion have been dropped and this nightmare is finally behind her. I am overwhelmed knowing that so many people refused to look away from this injustice. We will keep watching to ensure no other mother is targeted like this again.
June 27, 2021
Final supporters
Marion Millar is a mother, an accountant and a feminist from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
On 28th April she received a phone call from a police constable. Citing the Malicious Communications Act, the officer demanded that Marion attend a police interview in two days time over ‘homophobic and transphobic tweets’.
Marion was told that she had to attend East Kilbride police station so that she could then be driven by police car to Cathcart station as a location ‘with holding cells’ was required. She was told that she would be processed, questioned, most likely, charged.
Marion refused to attend on this particular day due to concerns she would be held for the entire bank holiday weekend. Her first thought was for the welfare of her autistic twins.
In response, the constable told Marion that she would, instead, visit her home accompanied by social workers to deal with her children.
Unsurprisingly, Marion was alarmed at this thinly-veiled threat. Her solicitor was unable to establish contact with the constable, so, concerned for the welfare of her twins, Marion made arrangements to accommodate them elsewhere over the bank holiday in case the police made good on their promise.
She then had to deal with this stress of this situation for a month. Eventually, her interview was rescheduled for 27th May, another bank holiday. This too was postponed, adding to her mental anguish and uncertainty.
Marion was still not told what she had supposedly tweeted to warrant such treatment.
On
22nd May, Marion described her experience on Twitter, garnering an
outpouring of support with many people, mostly women, promising to
attend Cathcart Police Station on the date of her interview to protest.
On 24th May, The Times ran the story of Marion’s ordeal.
On 26th May, Marion’s solicitor was informed by the police that her interview at Cathcart Police Station on 27th May would not be going ahead due to the custody suite being unavailable.
On 27th of May, her birthday, Marion was informed that her interview has now been rescheduled to 3rd June at Coatbridge Police Station.
She still does not know which offending tweet or tweets have necessitated police intervention.
Marion’s Twitter account is still live, so why is a tweet that is not even of interest to Twitter of any interest to the police? Why is Marion being put through psychological torture of the kind that is used by abusers against women to terrify, subjugate and manipulate them? As a direct result of this shameful situation, she has been unable to sleep properly for a month and, after all of these delays and lack of information, the police have not even bothered to inform her as to the reason for the interview. This treatment of a mother of autistic twins is both cruel and disproportionate.
Moreover, why does a Twitter misdemeanour (if, indeed, she has committed one) require such tactics? This incident has serious implications for freedom of speech and protections for women and children under human rights legislation. This is a highly contentious debate around women’s rights. Women need to be able to express opinions publicly when those rights are in jeopardy. The police should be acting as an independent and neutral authority when injustice occurs and definitely not as the moral arbiters of peoples’ tweets.
From the outset the Scottish police have conducted themselves in a manner akin to forces in totalitarian regimes. This is state terrorism, ideological and political in nature, designed to silence an advocate for women’s rights.
Marion has been intimidated and frightened from the outset over a tweet, the nature of which she is still not allowed to know.
Please send a message to the Scottish Police Force (and all of those forces looking on) that these tactics will not be tolerated. Sign our petition to demand that all action ceases immediately and she is issued with a formal apology.
Women Won’t Wheesht.
(UPDATE: donations to this site do NOT go to Marion herself. If you'd like to contribute to her legal fund please hang fire for the moment and I'll post those details when I get them)
Updates
Reached 5,000 supporters
June 4, 2021
June 1, 2021
Watching the count rise as we approach five thousand signatures shows me just how many people refuse to accept this kind of intimidation against a mother. We need that next push to ensure the authorities understand that Marion is not standing alone in this struggle.
June 1, 2021
Seeing one thousand people stand by Marion during this nightmare is overwhelming. It reminds me that we refuse to let a mother be intimidated for simply speaking her mind.
Reached 1,000 supporters
May 31, 2021
Reached 100 supporters
May 31, 2021
2,093 Comments
Best wishes to Marion from the USA. I hope the Scottish police will stop letting themselves be used as a club to beat down law abiding, free speaking individuals. It's those who use the police to intimidate others who are the criminals here.
Despite all of the weasel words of the SNP and Greens (with a few honourable exceptions) that their shenanigans would not deny free speech here is a frightening example of where women are being targeted. Nothing short of anti-democracy in action.
Three years ago British police did the same to me and the CPS said no. It never got to court. It's absolutely disgraceful what is happening to women in this supposed first world country. We should be fearful of this rollback of rights.
The treatment Marion has received by the police is disgusting especially threatening her with social workers over her children. To keep her waiting and stressing her out is wrong. I believe the police have acted wrongly and should be held accountable.
The HCB imposed by the Scottish government has serious ramifications for women and everyone's right to speak out on male appropriation of female spaces. Marion has been threatened by those in power for sharing the belief that YOU CANNOT CHANGE SEX.
Enshrining a personal delusion by law enforcement is telling. I thought I was disturbed. Maybe its the once psychiatric drugs I stopped using.
Very shameful tactics of the police to limit our freedom of speech.
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The charges against Marion have been dropped and this nightmare is finally behind her. I am overwhelmed knowing that so many people refused to look away from this injustice. We will keep watching to ensure no other mother is targeted like this again.
June 27, 2021
Final supporters
Marion Millar is a mother, an accountant and a feminist from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
On 28th April she received a phone call from a police constable. Citing the Malicious Communications Act, the officer demanded that Marion attend a police interview in two days time over ‘homophobic and transphobic tweets’.
Marion was told that she had to attend East Kilbride police station so that she could then be driven by police car to Cathcart station as a location ‘with holding cells’ was required. She was told that she would be processed, questioned, most likely, charged.
Marion refused to attend on this particular day due to concerns she would be held for the entire bank holiday weekend. Her first thought was for the welfare of her autistic twins.
In response, the constable told Marion that she would, instead, visit her home accompanied by social workers to deal with her children.
Unsurprisingly, Marion was alarmed at this thinly-veiled threat. Her solicitor was unable to establish contact with the constable, so, concerned for the welfare of her twins, Marion made arrangements to accommodate them elsewhere over the bank holiday in case the police made good on their promise.
She then had to deal with this stress of this situation for a month. Eventually, her interview was rescheduled for 27th May, another bank holiday. This too was postponed, adding to her mental anguish and uncertainty.
Marion was still not told what she had supposedly tweeted to warrant such treatment.
On
22nd May, Marion described her experience on Twitter, garnering an
outpouring of support with many people, mostly women, promising to
attend Cathcart Police Station on the date of her interview to protest.
On 24th May, The Times ran the story of Marion’s ordeal.
On 26th May, Marion’s solicitor was informed by the police that her interview at Cathcart Police Station on 27th May would not be going ahead due to the custody suite being unavailable.
On 27th of May, her birthday, Marion was informed that her interview has now been rescheduled to 3rd June at Coatbridge Police Station.
She still does not know which offending tweet or tweets have necessitated police intervention.
Marion’s Twitter account is still live, so why is a tweet that is not even of interest to Twitter of any interest to the police? Why is Marion being put through psychological torture of the kind that is used by abusers against women to terrify, subjugate and manipulate them? As a direct result of this shameful situation, she has been unable to sleep properly for a month and, after all of these delays and lack of information, the police have not even bothered to inform her as to the reason for the interview. This treatment of a mother of autistic twins is both cruel and disproportionate.
Moreover, why does a Twitter misdemeanour (if, indeed, she has committed one) require such tactics? This incident has serious implications for freedom of speech and protections for women and children under human rights legislation. This is a highly contentious debate around women’s rights. Women need to be able to express opinions publicly when those rights are in jeopardy. The police should be acting as an independent and neutral authority when injustice occurs and definitely not as the moral arbiters of peoples’ tweets.
From the outset the Scottish police have conducted themselves in a manner akin to forces in totalitarian regimes. This is state terrorism, ideological and political in nature, designed to silence an advocate for women’s rights.
Marion has been intimidated and frightened from the outset over a tweet, the nature of which she is still not allowed to know.
Please send a message to the Scottish Police Force (and all of those forces looking on) that these tactics will not be tolerated. Sign our petition to demand that all action ceases immediately and she is issued with a formal apology.
Women Won’t Wheesht.
(UPDATE: donations to this site do NOT go to Marion herself. If you'd like to contribute to her legal fund please hang fire for the moment and I'll post those details when I get them)
Updates
Reached 5,000 supporters
June 4, 2021
June 1, 2021
Watching the count rise as we approach five thousand signatures shows me just how many people refuse to accept this kind of intimidation against a mother. We need that next push to ensure the authorities understand that Marion is not standing alone in this struggle.
June 1, 2021
Seeing one thousand people stand by Marion during this nightmare is overwhelming. It reminds me that we refuse to let a mother be intimidated for simply speaking her mind.
Reached 1,000 supporters
May 31, 2021
Reached 100 supporters
May 31, 2021
2,093 Comments
This is indeed state terrorism. Scottish police are harassing and gaslighting this woman and their actions are disgraceful. She has many supporters. Leave her alone to care for her autistic children. Doesn't she have enough stress in her life?
Best wishes to Marion from the USA. I hope the Scottish police will stop letting themselves be used as a club to beat down law abiding, free speaking individuals. It's those who use the police to intimidate others who are the criminals here.
Despite all of the weasel words of the SNP and Greens (with a few honourable exceptions) that their shenanigans would not deny free speech here is a frightening example of where women are being targeted. Nothing short of anti-democracy in action.
Three years ago British police did the same to me and the CPS said no. It never got to court. It's absolutely disgraceful what is happening to women in this supposed first world country. We should be fearful of this rollback of rights.
The treatment Marion has received by the police is disgusting especially threatening her with social workers over her children. To keep her waiting and stressing her out is wrong. I believe the police have acted wrongly and should be held accountable.
The HCB imposed by the Scottish government has serious ramifications for women and everyone's right to speak out on male appropriation of female spaces. Marion has been threatened by those in power for sharing the belief that YOU CANNOT CHANGE SEX.
Enshrining a personal delusion by law enforcement is telling. I thought I was disturbed. Maybe its the once psychiatric drugs I stopped using.
Very shameful tactics of the police to limit our freedom of speech.
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This is indeed state terrorism. Scottish police are harassing and gaslighting this woman and their actions are disgraceful. She has many supporters. Leave her alone to care for her autistic children. Doesn't she have enough stress in her life?