Overview

• Met Police arrested Linehan at Heathrow this week on suspicion of inciting violence over April posts on X, including a line urging people to "punch him in the balls."
• Police initially bailed him with a condition barring posts on X, then later amended the terms to allow posting while prohibiting contact with the complainant, according to The Sun.
• Separately, Linehan is fighting harassment and criminal-damage charges at Westminster Magistrates' Court over an October 2024 clash with teenage activist Sophia Brooks.
• In court, prosecutors said he grabbed and threw the activist’s phone and posted abusive messages, while Linehan told police it was a reflex to taunting and argued his posts were in the public interest.
• The arrests and trial have drawn high-profile criticism and prompted fresh scrutiny of how U.K. authorities police online speech, with Met Commissioner Mark Rowley cautioning against officers being drawn into culture-war disputes.