to think that these women should go to jail

[MaMaLa321]

What does it take for a middle class white woman to get sent to jail?
Obviously not criminal damage.
[ www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/extinction-rebellion-protests-today-hsbc-london-b1835600.html]
AIBU to think that if any other sector of society had been doing this they'd wouldn't have been let off so lightly?

@MrsTerryPratchett

We do this not because we couldn't be working elsewhere, on far higher salaries. We do it because climate change is an issue of crucial importance for everyone, and it needs to be prioritised by governments and corporations if we're to have a future worth living in. True and timely.

Check your prejudices. FFS. Really?

Yes really.

The assumptions being made about the women involved in the XR protest by some posters here are ugly, and, in my experience, largely untrue. And seem to be informed by a lazy, prejudiced view of people who work in progressive movements.

Firstly, being a professional protester/activist isn’t actually a job.

Nothing prejudiced about that, it’s a fact. You don’t earn a living doing it, you’re presumably living off the state, unless of course you were earning that high salary by working in the industries you are now protesting against and have saved a few hundred grand in the process.

Most companies wouldn’t employ someone who claims to be an activist.

Many companies will demand access to your social media, and if activism is present there you wouldn’t get another job.

So while a caution might not be a career damaging prospect, being an activist most certainly would.

@kathlenemomof3

smashing windows is the least of your worries KAREN #WAP #UseMen #Girlboss 🤪🤪🍷🍷🍾🥂🥂

child

The rationale is that giving harsh penakties for this type of offence isn't in the public interest, because that risks creating martyrs and giving them more attention. And then all the comparing them with men who gave carried out violent assaults and not been jailed us brought in as well.

@OnlyInYourDreams

Firstly, being a professional protester/activist isn’t actually a job.

Nothing prejudiced about that, it’s a fact. You don’t earn a living doing it, you’re presumably living off the state, unless of course you were earning that high salary by working in the industries you are now protesting against and have saved a few hundred grand in the process.

Most companies wouldn’t employ someone who claims to be an activist.

Many companies will demand access to your social media, and if activism is present there you wouldn’t get another job.

So while a caution might not be a career damaging prospect, being an activist most certainly would.

Really? I say this because it doesn't seem to bear out in the case of XR.

It seems to be mostly people who are new to activism, and I don't think many employers who care very much.

On convictions etc, of course there are many people who have committed criminal offences who carry on with their careers and even for very serious offending. Its not a pure cadre of people.

This offending is almost petty in criminal terms - well it upsets posters it really isn't going to worry a judge who will maybe give a conditional discharge.

So you think a bank is going to employ someone who was responsible for smashing the windows of a bank because of their protest against the big corporates?

Any rail network is going to recruit someone who has been responsible for either vandalising or inhibiting travel on public transport?

That any civil service department is going to employ someone whose most recent experience is “professional activist?”

And professional activist sends out a very clear message anyway. It says that you’re someone who likes going out and causing trouble. Violently and maliciously if necessary. Let’s be honest, there’s no such thing as a peaceful protest, so if you’re labelling yourself as a professional protester, then you’re giving yourself the reputation which goes with that.

I wouldn’t touch someone with “official activist” on their CV with a barge pole if I was recruiting. They wouldn’t even make it to interview.

Do you actually recruit anyone? I mean, the Civil Service does have people who have, in the past, engaged in political activism. Other professional organisations have also done so. It is actually accepted by most people in the UK that there is a right to protest. Criminal damage is a crime, okay, then that is not "protest" is it? You are putting those two things together for your own reasons, and coming together with this concept of "professional activist", which as you said earlier, is not actually a thing.

Peaceful protest is a right in this country, protected by the ECHR and even further back to the common law of England. Where do you get you information from "lets face there's no such thing". Its a been a thing for thousands of years.

So reasonably, I believe most people on this thread can separate protest from crime - they are not synonymous to most, and most employers can take their own view.

'I wouldn’t touch someone with “official activist” on their CV with a barge pole if I was recruiting. They wouldn’t even make it to interview.'

Soooo gay rights activists are a no? Just off the top of my head.

The fact is that having a caution is not going to stuff your working career as a given, as has been claimed.

And so far we've had random assumptions that

They're all white
They're all middle class
They're all on benefits

Interesting.

The suffragettes set bombs, smashed windows and committed arson.

Imprison and ignore?

Well they did imprison and force feed and God only knows what.

Asking politely gets you nothing.

The sentencing guidelines followed in all criminal cases are readily available to read online. They will explain why a low level criminal damage would never, ever be jail unless for someone with a staggeringly bad criminal history.

Do you work for big oil, OP?

no. I don't.

I just don't think anyone should get away with criminal damage so lightly.

And I bet they all have mobile phones using lithium batteries. Check out the hypocrisy on that.

You bet they were all white too and you were wrong.

Your assumptions are bollocks.

As MrsTerryPratchett pointed out you were wrong about them all being white.

But even so OP, despite your glaring errors don't let that stop your righteous indignation\thinly veiled misogyny Middle class women - especially white ones (let's just call em Karen's eh for ease?) are the very SCOURGE of society. Practically deadly in their criminality .

Best lock em all up just to be safe.