Two tier sentencing carries a clear and frightening message
JVL Introduction
Here the blogger on “Another Angry Voice” highlights and bemoans the fact that activists from Just Stop Oil who were planning a peaceful protest have been punished more severely than those (so far) sentenced for actual violence and criminal damage. What message does this give to Black, Brown and Muslim people and, indeed, what message does this give to the racists? These racists who complain about two tier policing and claim that there is more tolerance for the pro Palestinian marches that those of the far right…well firstly I would hope so as the former are marches of love for people and the latter are explicitly marches of hate. Even former Home Secretary Pritti Patel dismissed these claims saying: “There’s a clear difference between effectively blocking streets or roads being closed to burning down libraries, hotels, food banks and attacking places of worship. What we have seen is thuggery, violence, racism.” (on GB news, more info here)
Two tier policing is not the issue here but two tier sentencing is clear to see. Do the lives and safety of racialised people in Britain matter as much as freedom for corporations to pollute and destroy? Sadly the message is clear.
LL
This article was originally published by Another Angry Voice Blog on Wed 7 Aug 2024. Read the original here.
Britain's outrageous two-tier justice system
Why have non-violent political protesters been hammered with harsher prison sentences than the violent extreme-right rioters who have been terrorising our communities?
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letters to the editor: Rioters jailed over Merseyside disorder as police brace for more far-right unrest (7 Aug.)
To: Guardian
Compare and contrast:
a). Rioter who punched police officer in face in Southport jailed for three years
b). Forty-five Just Stop Oil protesters climbed gantries on the M25 motorway in November 2022, forcing police to stop the traffic. One was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment while the four other defendants each received four-year jail terms.
excellent post. It is an outrage that Just Stop Oil protesters got far heavier sentences than rapists and child pornographers. The judge in their trial cast doubt on climate change. The judiciary in this country represent a narrow and socially exclusive conservative elite. Not my words, that of the Law Gazette
Environment campaigners acting for all of us in a sound cause are punished with imprisonment many times longer than for thieves and violent criminals.
The deep hypocrisy involved can be read in the biased judges comments.
5-years for peaceful environmental protest. 3-years for a extreme righwtwinger punching a policeofficer.
What are the chances of the Manchester Policeofficer filmed kicking and stamping on an Asian lads head, will get anything like these sentences, or even convicted?
Could not agree more. I have been banging on about two tier sentencing and Judge Hehir’s behaviour in extraordinary punitive and prejudicial sentencing using the quite evil Braverman protest Act against the Just Stop Oil Five. He even tried to get 11 peaceful protestors outside the court arrested for pointing out a sign on the Court building concerning freedom of conscience. The lenient sentencing on rabid racist rioters is now in stark contrast and has been taken up as two-tier and bad by one of Labour’s largest donors. Let’s hope he has influence with the Authoritarian one. Dame Sue Carr the new head of the Judiciary needs to look to reform this quite appallingly elite, corrupt and blinkered justice system (one that prosecuted and locked up hundreds of Subpostmasters) and of course the innocent Malkinson who served 17 years). The Law Commission Chair should also be looking to reform the legal system -and soon. Many of the lawyers and solicitors need to be prosecuted and charged, struck off and some locked up and Judges admonished and kicked off the bench. And get rid of that Helen Pitcher Chair and the CEO of the CCRC.