Photos of the stickers and his trip to Sainsbury’s were posted to his Twitter account, which has since been suspended by the social media platform. For placing the stickers on halal meat packages, Edwards was arrested and charged with racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage after the supermarket claimed that they could not sell the products for fear of contamination.
Although Edwards pleaded not guilty at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, he was sentenced to a 4-week curfew, which banned him from being out between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. He was also ordered to pay approximately $230 in court fees and compensation.
However, Edwards still insists that he wasn’t racially motivated, arguing that he was merely using his right to protest in order to bring awareness to his belief that halal slaughter is inhumane. He added that he believed Britain’s legal system has become a “joke,” suggesting that he was harshly punished while Islamist hate preachers often go free.
While some agree that the stickers should not have been placed on the supermarket’s products, others find it difficult to believe that their message is racially insensitive. Still, Edwards was punished for his crimes and will likely think twice about how he brings awareness to the religious practice that he finds reprehensible. Whether or not you agree with his method or message, his controversial stickers certainly gained the attention he wanted.