Morning Note

The United Kingdom is a great place to golf, explore restaurants, and even get married. But that does not mean it is a bastion of free speech. This story serves as the latest of many examples of proof. 

British police have arrested the creator of a movement to raise English flags across the country in protest of illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded hotel stays, charging the man with 14 so-called offenses and scheduling him for a kangaroo court appearance in November. The “crimes” include “seven counts of using threatening words or behavior to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.” Put differently, he said things his government did not like. 

45-year-old Ryan Bridge launched his flag-raising campaign last year in response to liberal politicians using the hard-earned money of British citizens to give foreigners free hotel getaways. The effort resulted in roughly 20,000 flags going up, which the local Birmingham government somehow plans to spend roughly £2.6 million to remove. Birmingham is approximately £3.5 billion in debt. Read more.