Local Councillors Threatened! This is NOT Acceptable!!

[Hereford Voice]

Councillor Gemma Davies has had to take leave from her council work due to constant threats and abuse.

Councillor Gemma Davies 

Councillor Gemma Davies wrote;

Quote

I’m currently taking some time away from council business. There are a whole host of reasons but one huge factor is the hatred that is on social media.

Over the past two days I have seen a number of clickbait articles that incite hatred. I call out this behaviour as a trade unionist and yet I’ve kept my mouth relatively shut about this. In my first year as a councillor I was told by fellow members that you need to be careful what you put on social media and to ‘play the game’. This has meant losing a huge part of me.

Last year Conservative MP, Sir David Ames’s was killed. In June 2016 Jo Cox was killed. Both were killed during their consistency surgeries.

I personally have had threats against me, had private messages telling me to fuck off and die (lovely) plus countless others telling me how I’m not qualified to be a councillor. Let’s not include the rape threats and comments about my personal life. I’ve had people I’ve considered to be friends tell me that maybe I’m not cut out for it because it’s something that ‘comes with the territory’.

Well it’s not. It’s time to hold people to account for the things that they put on social media. Your actions have consequences. One day something seriously bad will happen to a councillor or council worker and everyone will hold a vigil and say we didn’t think something like this could happen. Well it can, and it will if we carry on the witch-hunt that appears to be never ending.

You’ll never find a bigger advocate for free speech. I respect people have opinions even if I think they’re abhorrent. But inciting hatred and then just taking a step back and saying ‘it weren’t me gov’ just doesn’t cut it.

We are all responsible for the things that we put on social media be it at an organisational level or a personal.

Any person who puts anything on to me or others which I consider offensive I will be taking it through the police and their employer.

I will also be keeping this account ONLY for council business. I will be on my personal Facebook account for my friends and family where I can actually be myself and not have to put up with all the hate that comes with being a councillor.

And to everyone who’s been supporting me through the last three years through this I just want to say I love you so much, I’d 100% be under if it wasn’t for you. Even if it’s been people taking the piss like Stephen Grainger and Tom Quirk, you’ve made me laugh regardless.

Hereford Voice comment; 

It is disgusting what has been happening and people should think about their actions before leaving nasty comments.

Thank you Cllr. Gemma Davies for opening up and revealing how you feel and how this has had a huge impact on your life recently by some of the nasty threats you have been receiving, some of these people are just keyboard warriors and bullies.

Keep doing what you are doing (which is all we can ask of you) because so many local residents including myself appreciate each and every councillor, often giving up their own free time.

If people want change there is nothing stopping anyone becoming a councillor if they think that they can do better.

Thank you Gemma 🧡

[M. Preece]

This is disgusting and the people who incite such hatred and anger should be reported to the police 

[Steve Major]

There is no place for this sort of abuse towards anyone just doing their job. There are some local websites that obviously enjoy winding people up with their headlines all manufactured to encourage bigots and idiots to leave such comments, it gets people engaging and generates clicks and numbers for them, well they should be ashamed of themselves and I think they have a lot to answer for. 

[ragwert]

On 21/08/2022 at 08:50, Steve Major said:

There is no place for this sort of abuse towards anyone just doing their job. There are some local websites that obviously enjoy winding people up with their headlines all manufactured to encourage bigots and idiots to leave such comments, it gets people engaging and generates clicks and numbers for them, well they should be ashamed of themselves and I think they have a lot to answer for. 

I agree but it don't take too much to rile the crowds when this Council have not listened to the very people who put them there in the first place.