The Five Demands

Ancora una volta Facebook fa da testimone al cattivo gusto e all’ignoranza collettiva, con una pagina che inneggia alla violenza contro Neil Lennon a pochi giorni dalla notizia di nuove lettere bomba indirizzate a lui ed altri membri del Celtic FC

Un’immagine raccapricciante capeggia su di una pagina di Facebook, intitolata ‘Spero che Neil Lennon venga ucciso’ (‘I Hope Neil Lennon gets shot’), che ha già al suo attivo un centinaio di adesioni. La fotografia raffigura l’allenatore del Celtic FC bersagliata da colpi di arma da fuoco, in fronte, al cuore, al torace e all’inguine.
Il creatore della pagina ha anche scritto in bacheca ‘Neil Lennon deserves a bullet to the head!’ (‘Neil Lennon merita una pallottola in testa!’). Già qualche mese fa il più famoso dei social network aveva lasciato spazio a invettive contro l’allenatore del Celtic FC.
Intanto è stato rivelato che un ragazzo di 17 anni, Kieran Bowell, è stato allontanato dalla squadra di calcio di cui faceva parte per aver scritto sulla sua pagina twitter di aver sperato che Lennon potesse rimanere ucciso dalla lettera bomba.

After Celtic boss Neil Lennon is targeted with letter bomb, Facebook picture shows hatred (Mail on Line)
This mock-up on Facebook of Neil Lennon in a blood-soaked football strip has emerged in the wake of bombs being sent to the Celtic manager and two supporters of the club.
The image on the social networking site had been ‘Liked’ by more than 100 people.
Pictures on the page, which was entitled ‘I Hope Neil Lennon gets shot’, showed the manager with bullet holes in his head, chest and groin.
The site’s creator posted: ‘Neil Lennon deserves a bullet to the head!’ A similar site has previously been taken down by Facebook.
Meanwhile, a footballer has been sacked by his club after he posted hate-filled messages about the Celtic manager on the internet.
Kieran Bowell, 17, told followers of his Twitter page that he wished Lennon had been ‘killed’ by a parcel bomb.
Berwick Rangers kicked Bowell out of the club after being made aware of the teenager’s rant.
Strathclyde Police said the two packages sent to Lennon, and others to lawyer Paul McBride QC and former MSP Trish Godman, were ‘designed to cause real harm to the person who opened them’.
Officers described the sending of the bombs as ‘despicable and cowardly’.
Chief Superintendent Ruaraidh Nicolson urged people who had a ‘high profile in the media’ to be ‘vigilant’ but insisted the general public was not at risk. Two of the four parcels were intercepted at sorting offices in the west of Scotland last month, both addressed to the Celtic manager.
Two days later a parcel for Miss Godman, former deputy presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, was delivered to her office.
The most recent package was intercepted last Friday in Ayrshire, addressed to Mr McBride.
Celtic boss Neil Lennon clashes with Rangers’ Ally McCoist at the end of a fiery Scottish Cup clash at Celtic Park
Detective Superintendent John Mitchell said: ‘They were definitely capable of causing significant harm.’
Lennon, 39, has endured threats and abuse throughout his career and was forced to retire from representing Northern Ireland in international football after claiming he had received death threats from a paramilitary group.
He was the victim of a street attack in Glasgow in 2008 and earlier this year received a package containing bullets. He was on the touchline last night for his club’s game at Kilmarnock despite the threat to his life.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan said sending the bombs was ‘depressing and deplorable’, adding that sectarian hatred was an ‘unwanted poison’ in football.
Neither Mr McBride nor Miss Godman wished to comment.
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said the ‘vile events’ deserved ‘condemnation’.
Rangers chief executive Martin Bain said: ‘Such behaviour is to be condemned out of hand. These acts have no place in society and no place in football.’