Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by hermitcrab 338 days ago
In the link it says:

"with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence"

As far as I am aware, have only damaged property. Have they actually committed any acts of violence or advocated violence?

It is embarassing for the UK military that they were able to get into a base and spray paint military planes.
1 comments
flumpcakes 338 days ago
Damage to property is a form of violence. If someone broke into your home and destroyed medical equipment needed to care for your dying relative, I'm sure you would 100% call it an act of violence.

Also, the group has directly harmed people too:

> A police officer was taken to hospital after being hit with a sledgehammer while responding to reports of criminal damage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mnnje4wlro

link
Fluorescence 338 days ago
> hit with a sledgehammer

It smells like a jumped up "assaulted a police officer" charge because you shield your face from their punches. Hitting someone with a sledge hammer is a suitably scary tabloid headline but physically unlikely and entirely out of character for the accused group.

Note that Avon Police have form as lying pieces of shit.

They attacked protestors and claimed 21 injured officers specifically: "officers got broken bones, had punctured lungs, were very seriously injured" in the national media.

Journalists contacted local hospitals and found no police were treated that night. They had to retract those claims and their list of the claimed injuries included staff who never attended the scene, a bee sting and a twisted ankle getting out of a car.

I expect similar will happen here but only after this claim has been used for years to demonise protestors.

link
hermitcrab 338 days ago
Also there is a huge gulf between being hit with the business end of a sledgehammer and poked with the shaft. I would expect a serious assault with a sledgehammer to result in serious injury or death.
link
hermitcrab 338 days ago
>Damage to property is a form of violence.

That seems a stretch.

>A police officer was taken to hospital after being hit with a sledgehammer

I wasn't aware of that incident.

link