The murder of soldier Lee Rigby has provoked a backlash of anger across the UK, including the attacking of mosques, racial abuse and comments made on social media.
A 22-year-old man appeared before magistrates in Lincoln yesterday charged with making malicious comments on Facebook.
Benjamin Flatters, from the city, was arrested on Thursday after complaints were made to Lincolnshire Police about comments made on the social networking site which were allegedly of a racist or anti-religious nature, a Lincolnshire Police spokesman said.
A second man was visited by officers and warned about his activity on social media, the spokesman added.
The charge comes after two men were arrested and released on bail for making alleged offensive comments on Twitter about the murder.
Complaints were made to Avon and Somerset Police about remarks that appeared on the social networking website, which were allegedly of a racist or anti-religious nature.
A 23-year-old and a 22-year-old, both from Bristol, were held under the Public Order Act on suspicion of inciting racial or religious hatred.
Detective Inspector Ed Yaxley of Avon and Somerset Police said: “These comments were directed against a section of our community. Comments such as these are completely unacceptable and only cause more harm to our community in Bristol.”
Two men appeared at Thames Magistrates Court yesterday charged with religiously aggravated threatening behaviour over an incident in an east London fast food restaurant on Thursday. Labourer Toni Latcal, 32, and plasterer Eugen-Aurelian Eugen-Beredei, 34, both from London, were arrested following the incident at 9.15pm on Thursday.
Latcal was charged with religiously aggravated threatening behaviour and causing criminal damage, while Eugen-Beredei was charged with religiously aggravated threatening behaviour.
The killing has prompted a huge increase in anti-Muslim incidents, according to the organisation Faith Matters, which works to reduce extremism. Before the attack, about four to eight cases a day were reported to its helpline. However, the group said about 150 incidents had been reported in the past few days, including attacks on mosques.
Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, told BBC Radio Five Live: “What’s really concerning is the spread of these incidents. “They’re coming in from right across the country.
“Secondly, some of them are very focused, very aggressive attacks. And thirdly, there also seems to be significant online activity... suggesting co-ordination of incidents and attacks against institutions or places where Muslims congregate.”
Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, said: “Anyone who seeks to divide our communities is doing the work of the extremists they say they oppose.
“The clear message from the overwhelming majority of British people is – ‘not in my name’.”
Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), is investigating, following the disclosure that the two suspects, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Oluwatobi Adebowale, were known to MI5.
On Friday night, a man claiming to be a childhood friend of Adebolajo told the BBC’s Newsnight programme he had been approached by MI5 six months ago and asked if he would work for the security service.
Abu Nusaybah was arrested at the BBC following the interview. The Metropolitan Police said a 31-year-old man was arrested in relation to terrorism offences and search warrants were executed at two addresses in east London. The arrest was not directly linked to Drummer Rigby’s death, the Met said.