Utah: Some BLM activists in Salt Lake City face charges with potential life sentences over damage – IOTW Report

Utah: Some BLM activists in Salt Lake City face charges with potential life sentences over damage

FOX:

SALT LAKE CITY – Some Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City could face up to life in prison if they’re convicted of splashing red paint and smashing windows during a protest, a potential punishment that stands out among demonstrators arrested around the country and one that critics say doesn’t fit the alleged crime.

The felony criminal mischief charges are more serious because they carry a gang enhancement. Prosecutors said Wednesday that’s justified because the protesters worked together to cause thousands of dollars in damage, but watchdogs called the use of the 1990s-era law troubling, especially in the context of criminal justice reform and minority communities.

“This is so far beyond just the enforcement of the law, it feels retaliatory,” said Madalena McNeil, who is facing a potential life sentence over felony criminal mischief and riot charges. Charging documents say she bought red paint at a Home Depot before the July 9 demonstration sparked by a fatal police shooting ruling. She later yelled at and shifted her weight as if to slam into police during the demonstration, charges state. “It’s really frustrating and scary … I just feel so much concern for what this means for the right to protest in general.” more here

12 Comments on Utah: Some BLM activists in Salt Lake City face charges with potential life sentences over damage

  1. They are not “Some BLM activists,” they are avowed TERRORISTS. They understand that and freely discuss their acts as political terrorism on their own blogs and chat rooms.

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  2. “I just feel so much concern for what this means for the right to protest in general.”

    She can protest (conflated with ‘destroy’) all she wants in prison AND be her own prison lawyer after they beat the crap out of her.

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