A Falklands War veteran received a surprise visit from two detectives after tweeting about Brexit.
“Maybe it’s time for a military coup to sort Brexit out,” ventured Tony McNally, author of a searing account of his experiences as a Rapier missile operator during the 1982 conflict in the South Atlantic. That thought led to a visit from British police to his home in the English Lake District, where he lives with his wife Linda and their two Labradors.
In the Falklands, McNally shot down two Argentine planes. But his experience of watching fellow soldiers burn to death on board the RFA Sir Galahad landing ship left him deeply traumatized. He has written and spoken extensively about post-traumatic stress disorder.
McNally, 57, had been outspoken in his support of Brexit, particularly on social media. In early June he tweeted, “#SkyNews #bbcnews should also be investigated about blatant bias and disrespect to #Brexit and #PresidentTrump”.
#SkyNews #bbcnews should also be investigated about blatant bias and disrespect to #Brexit and #PresidentTrump
BBC News – George Galloway radio show breached Ofcom rules https://t.co/46yAuigaOC— A – A – McNally (@Tony_McNally_) June 3, 2019
Police told McNally, a father of two, that his tweet could be compared to past threats of violence against members of Parliament. After the police suggested he should be more careful with what he says online, McNally felt he had no choice but to delete the tweet.
The whole incident left McNally shaken. He said, “The tweet was just a tongue-in-cheek, off-the-cuff remark. I couldn’t start a military coup! It was a waste of police time, heavy-handed and totally unnecessary.”
He stated, “Maybe if I’d put ‘this is just a joke,’ I wouldn’t have had people on my doorstep … I felt intimidated. I feel like it was an assault on my civil liberties.”
McNally also said, “This incident has been incredibly upsetting and has left me depressed. This heavy-handed treatment by the police over a tweet can push a vulnerable veteran to take his own life. I hope my speaking about it prevents this happening to anyone else. The world seems to have gone mad, we all need to sit down take a breath and try to be more civil with each other regardless of political opinion.”
Following an appearance on RT UK to discuss the incident, McNally tweeted, “It was disappointing that the whole interview was not shown on #RT as I said ‘If this sort of thing was happening in #Russia or Central America the Western MSM would be ringing their hands in fake outrage.” RT is subsidized by the Russian government.
It was disappointing that the whole interview was not shown on #RT as I said “If this sort of thing was happening in #Russia or Central America the Western MSM would be ringing their hands in fake outrage. https://t.co/c80635y1Tq
— A – A – McNally (@Tony_McNally_) June 18, 2019
A spokesman for the local police said, “Police were made aware of concerns following a posting on social media. Officers visited and suitable advice was given regarding the post. No further action was taken.”
