To think that the Justice system is completely f***ed?

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Six Palestine Action activists cleared of aggravated burglary over break-in at UK subsidiary of Israeli defence firm.
So you can now break into a factory using a van, and attack people with sledgehammers?
I just can't believe it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wxlv99xrjo

It feels very dystopian in the UK currently.

What 'intensely polarizing' issue do you mean here?

Do you mean the issue of whether the crime was commited is intensely polarizing? Or the issue of Israel / Palestine is intensely polarizing? Or the issue of whether PA is an actual group of terrorists is intensely polarizing? Or some other issue?

I didn’t need to be in court to see the sledgehammer being sunk into a woman, just doing her job’s spine.

How do you feel about the sledgehammer attack?

It’s this snarky, above the law attitude that if “Palestine” in the cause then people can have absolutely no limits to what they can do, couple with denial that it’s a problem, which is why I think anyone involved in the pro-pal movement must be a horrific nasty (and probably) Jew hating POS.

Because actual action would require them doing something useful rather than spewing hate.

They don’t give a shit about the victims of their hate and also complain, get nasty and throw in an antisemitic insult if you don’t clap along to their cause

Aside from the dreadful attack on the policewoman. I can't understand how they broke into a factory with a van, and damaged equipment, and got away scot free.
Part of me thinks that, if they were working class, they'd not have escaped justice.

I mean Israel / Palestine but also the proscription of PA.

And neither of those issues were on trial. This is so messed up.

They haven’t got away scot free as this PP points out

so there is more to come with regards to those charges

Yeah if that's what went on it's bad. Surely they must screen the jury so only those 'neutral' on Palestine could be included. Though I guess they'd just lie.

Why do you keep saying “if”? Have you not seen the video?

Of course jurors lie, especially the above the law Pro-Pal people lie, and would be thrilled to get on a jury where they can exonerate their fellow blue haired haters

I'm not sure how feasible it would be to screen for neutral opinions. Its become a moral bellweather.
I think this speaks to the society we live in now. I think theres so much information about everything out there, and such divided narratives on real life events, that getting a fair trial in this case was always going to be very difficult if not impossible.
Human minds haven't kept up with the pace of technology. Theres no realistic way of making most people neutral.

Humans invented the internet and this is where its bought us.

Once upon a time jury selection was a thing, and it didn’t go down well (look at the OJ trial)

Why would a fair trial be impossible? It’s a hell of a lot less high profile than other court cases which have gone perfectly fairly

Because going by opinions on here, and the instructions given to the judge to disregard their opinions on the Israel / Palestine issue... what was on trial wasn't just whether or not these 'protesters' commited GBH with intent aggravated burglary etc, it was the whole moral issue of whats going on in the ME. Which is a much more complex and nuanced issue than a jury is qualified to decide.

And thats the internet saturated world we all now live in.

Yeah you're not wrong. Especially about subjects like this.

Your analogy is wrong:
Intent means you specifically meant to hit the person.

There'd be little chance of a fair trial for the 'agent' who murdered Renee Good either. We've all read about it. We're all part of a community and prone to groupthink- its a quirk of our evolution. Therefore there are 2 separate narratives, each with visual evidence to support, and each with influential highly visible cheerleaders.

Our brains simply can't reliably pull the truth out of these situations. Or at least, not many of us can.

I don't know what the answers are. I do worry about the world ive bought my kids into.

We might find ourselves in a situation where murderers are acquitted simply because the jury “approves” of them. Would Corbyn and Polanski be cheering if the guy had killed the policewoman?

I'm just saying 'if' because I don't know the exact reasons why each juror decided to vote the way they did.

It’s very very worrying the verdict after seeing the video!

They planned to break in they had weapons and were intent on doing damage …to property and/or people! No two ways about it.

its all on video and someone was attacked with a sledgehammer how is that ok?

I can’t believe the verdict.

We are in deep trouble as a society !

The Palestine protesters are scary and intimidating.

Try to do what this group did in some other countries and attack the police - well you’d not do it again - you would likely be shot.

Here they got off , unbelievable.

I’ve just seen a still of the sledgehammer man just before the attack doing something which looks very much like a Nazi salute

Peace protestors you say 🤔

Why thank god?

Because I’ve viewed a video of a man breaking a police officers back and find it unacceptable? Therefore I shouldn’t be in a jury room?

Sorry what?