Extinction Misdirection - 12 Month Sentence for “Activist Paralympian” Who Climbed on Top of an Aeroplane
What’s surprising about this story and the reaction to it, is the sheer lack of awareness of the current political reality of partaking in an action at an airport. Before this man took action, in 2017, the Stansted 15 blockaded and stopped an aircraft from leaving the UK, which was due to deport people to Ghana and Nigeria. An action which saved multiples lives.
The 15 were charged with aggravated trespass, which was then upgraded to the charge of ‘endangering an airport’ under the Aviation and Maritime Security Act (2002). They were put on trial (that lasted 2 years) and eventually found guilty (but they were not sentenced to prison, even though the maximum sentence for their alleged crime was life imprisonment). This was a huge relief to the 15 and their friends (which includes me), who feared they would get 1-2 years in prison. Their conviction was later quashed in January 2021 on appeal.
Was this man aware of the actions of the Stansted 15 and the risks of a life sentence in prison before he undertook this action? Almost certainly not. As XR don’t really tell their activists anything and they use them as cannon fodder. The Paralympian was misadvised and misdirected in every way. In all honesty his own naivety is staggering.
The HS Rebellion thread where I first heard of the news is a real eye opener, most commenters are making the man out to be some kind of hero, which he is not. What he did is virtue signalling and it has not helped anyone.
When groups like XR wade into situations where they don’t understand the political context or the legal consequences of their actions, they become a danger to themselves and others. They also make real activism almost impossible for others who follow them, as laws such as the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill are conjured to deal with the so-called threat of XR.
HS2 Rebellion are a smarter bunch of activists and should know this. Clearly, we have an XR proxy at the controls today on their FB page. The author is still keen to encourage more actions of this kind and for people to lose the fear. The reality is that people are still being misinformed and thus put in danger.
I do feel sorry for the Paralympian, and I hope he is freed soon on appeal. He should not have been put under this much risk.
However, we are all accountable for our own actions and he did this under his own volition. He should also consider himself fortunate that he’s got the maximum punishment for aggravated trespass, not a life sentence for endangering an airport. This was spared him, most likely due to his higher privilege as a Paralympian.