Anti-transgender campaigner Graham Linehan has been arrested in London and charged over several posts he made on social media.
The TV writer is behind some of huge comedy hits including Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd, but in recent years he’s left screenwriting behind to focus on campaigning against people who are transgender.
Linehan shared that he was met by five police officers when he flew into the UK from the USA and they had concerns over three posts he made to social media.
Writing on Substack the author said he’d been placed in a cell and then questioned about the posts he made on back in April on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Linehan, 57, said the posts related to him challenging a “trans-identified male” in a “female-only space”.
He said after the interview police had taken him to a hospital because he was experiencing high blood pressure. He was kept under observation, and later released on bail.
As part of his bail conditions he’s been ordered to stay off the X platform.
A police spokesperson has confirmed the arrest.
“On Monday, 1 September, at 1pm officers arrested a man at Heathrow airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.
“The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.
“After being taken to police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital. His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing. He has now been bailed pending further investigation.
“The arrest was made by officers from the MPS aviation unit. It is routine for officers policing airports to carry firearms. These were not drawn or used at any point during the arrest.” they said.
Earlier this year Linehan was charged with criminal damage and non-violent harassment over an incident that occurred at a festival named Battle of Ideas that took place in October last year.
Last year the writer had to delay a tour of Australian when he was unable to secure a visa to enter the country. He was later granted permission to travel and the tour went ahead.
