Texas anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism charges sentenced to at least 50 years in prison
What a crock of shit
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/23/prairieland-ice-protesters-texas-sentencedOpen linkView original on lemmy.zip495
Comments141
So basically protesting against ICE is worse than raping children in USA.
This is insane
In a statement, Song said he had fired at the police officer, Lt Thomas Gross, because Gross had his weapon drawn and Song believed he was about to shoot a protester.
"I never want to see good people, standing for what they believe in, gunned down in the street," he said. "Now 21 people have been arrested, have been persecuted, have been punished. For knowing me or being my friend?
This is wrong. This is mass punishment.
Now we know the kinds of sentences to hand down when we re-try the Jan 6 Insurrectionists.
That's a lot of hope for the future of a failing nation.
While deserving, this would require violating our own laws.
We cannot cut down all the trees to find the devil Mr. roper.
One got 100 years?
WTAF? So, these guys get harsh sentences, but the terrorists that assaulted the Capitol are treated as "patriots" by the asshats sitting in the WH right now?
This country is so fucked.
It’s always been like this. The fbi and cia hunted down the civil rights leaders and the vast majority of the kkk and southern lunch mob terrorists we’re able to hold positions of power with zero consequences. The only time the working class and oppressed minority groups were ever able to gain rights and privileges was through force and overwhelming multilateral solidarity.
Mmmmmm...
Lol
Oh boy that is a good story. Let me tell you a different one. The only reason we have the privileges we have today is because some wealthy people still think it matters. Change happens through convincing wealthy people to allow it.
France, who is far more violent than the US, freaked the fuck out when pension age was raised.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_French_pension_reform_strikes
Results? Absolutely nothing.
People like to talk big and say civilization is only a couple of missed meals away from a revolution. The truth is the Great Depression in the US lasted over ten years and even as late as WWII 40% of men were turned away for malnourishment. Guess what? No revolution.
There is not going to be some magical point people will fight back and get their rights, that is just not how it works.
Wrong.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_violence_in_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Coalfield_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_incidents_of_civil_unrest_in_the_United_States
https://www.howardzinn.org/collection/peoples-history/
You are under the assumption that the rich are being forced. They aren't.
Has the plight of working class turned some wealthy people's ears that eventually afforded them some rights? Sure.
Can these rights be revoked at the wealthy's whim? Certainly.
If you think organizing the poors is going to solve our problems you are in for a rude awakening.
There are certainly things we can do, but the least effective is going to be what you fantasize about.
A multilateral approach to revolution consisting of several factions statistically is the best approach to a successful revolution
Yeah, I was just pointing out the one thing you profess is the least likely to affect change in our modern world.
Needless to say you need to work on the other factions as you put it.
There’s plenty of factions currently fighting fascism but we do need some armed resistance groups. It’s coming. Writing is on the wall. We all better hope it is because the pedophile class you clearly believe has morals is bringing their genocide and total mass surveillance here. Maybe you can ask them nicely to care about us and you won’t have to watch your mother die while not being able to access healthcare for her like I did.
Yes it’s a war. Maybe we should all recognize that.
Sorry, being anti fascist is not leftist. It's everything other than being on the far right
Let that be a lesson. If you're going to get arrested for protesting against ICE, you may as well start killing them. It's the same punishment anyway.
They might even kill you in the first place so you won't ever need to serve the sentence
Because they want people to randomly attack authority figures. That will give them the justification to crack down HARD. The next few years will be rough.
Two people just got 50 years in prison as a mandatory minimum for allegedly slashing tires and setting off fireworks.
They're already cracking down hard. We're past the justification part.
You think this is cracking down hard? This is foreplay to them. Cracking down hard is when all pretext is gone and they start openly killing and jailing their political enemies and stripping them of their rights. This is them trying to get their opponents to take the bait and give them flimsy justification to do anything they want.
Well be good, don't resist and lick them boots clean and maybe they won't hurt you. Lots of us aren't going to do it.
Ok internet tough guy haha. Really easy to say this on the internet and in the safety of your homes. But when the boot gets placed on your neck, you'll lick it like 99% of the rest of them.
But dont let me get in the way of your totally normal and not weird as fuck power fantasy.
They are literally already doing whatever they want what the fuck are you talking about.
You must be young. Study history to see how bad things can get. OR just keep impotently bitching about it on the internet. Im sure that will help change things.
Fred Hampton.
Yep. The far right cannot wait to see actual death squads taking orders from Donvict.
You know if people keep lying down baring their stomach they’re gonna crack down HARD anyway. So, ( ° ͜ʖ °)
They are already cracking down. I say it’s time to crack back.
Haha ok. Lets not pretend here. There not going to be any cracking back. Because for all your big words, none of you will do shit. You'll just post on a forum to try to feel like a badass by talking about committing acts of domestic terrorism against a government you dont agree with. And yes, regardless of how you may feel about which side is right, it will be terrorism. But you're all too cowardly for that.
Just a bunch of scared children nudge each other and saying, "Somebody should do something about this! But not me!"
Go on. Give me the details of how you'd crack back. Or are you going to tell me that you meant as a society and not yourself? You people are so ridiculously detached from reality that you need to go outside and get off the internet.
Lol says the dude obsessively drooling all over this thread. I don't know what kind of BS point you think you have but I guarantee you you're wasting your time with this weird line of thinking.
Honestly if it's truly random I suspect it'd actually be hard for them to justify as easily compared to if it happened at a protest. If some ICE agent gets shanked and their wallet jacked while they're smoking outside a hotel or something it'd be hard to justify it since that appears to just be pure crackhead behavior.
They should release the body cam footage of the ICE officer. Something smells off.
And with that, it's complete. The United States is not dying - it's dead. The government is under the control of open fascists, the rule of law is a thing of the past, democracy is dead and the Constitution has been wadded up and thrown away.
They'll be bulldozing corpses into mass graves before long.
Already are just not in plain sight yet
Nah, in Gaza they're making the Palestinians do it by hand.
My ancestors/people would take issue with that. They've been found in mass graves in the US and Canada for decades upon decades. Camps and mass graves are always the ultimate resort of the state. Every continent, every era. Generally the average person is safe enough to not have to worry about finding themselves in one. Surely the state would never turn on them to serve itself. Surely.
A country that has been doing this since it's inception is not dead because it continues to do this thing.
Wish it would die, but the Fascist States of Amerikkka grind on atop the bones of the honest, innocent, and good.
Something's missing. Setting aside the 1 person who was violent. A jury of their peers convicted of others for what amounts to minor vandalism, and the sentence was decades in prison? Has the system completely failed citizens standing up for what's right?
It’s completely insane. I know that prison terms are decided by the judges (within the windows of their charges), but I cannot for the life of me believe that 8 or however many ‘impartial’ jurors decided that terrorism charges for 50, 70, and 100 years were OK. There’s just no fucking way.
A murder charge gets you at max 99 years in Texas. The guy who shot the officer didn’t even kill him. There’s evidence that was withheld from the court that the officer drew first.
I cannot believe so many people in this country and around the world are OK with outright tyranny. I might as well be a separate species than them
Last time I served on a jury they didn’t tell us what the sentence would be and also said we can’t take sentencing or sympathy into account.
They try real fucking hard to make sure the Jury doesn't actually do anything
Stuff like that is why not not avoiding jury duty is so important.
Aren't you an imperial project since you settled in 1416?
What?
What country are you talking about, the Spanish colonization, or the British one?
I'm not seeing 1416 being referenced in either of those.
Settlements started prior to colonization. Which is why I am asking for precision on “OK with outright tyranny.”
Need to know Upvoters’ flavors.
What are you talking about, shut up dude. Yeah, the Americas were colonized and shouldn’t have. What does that have to do with fucking anything about this
Oh shut the fuck up.
Just block the dumb fuck. There are a few accounts that I'm not convinced aren't the same person. Every post they spam dumbass shit like this that's not at all relevant to the discussion. They use the forum to just talk shit about stuff that happened hundreds of years ago. Best to just not engage and block.
Honestly, when they're this open and stupid about it, I prefer that because it's easier to pick out bad actors for the blocking.
You genuinely sound like a clown, even if your anti colonialist stance is correct. Please for the good of the species, just stop talking.
It's Texas...
That requires enough of the citizens to not be absolute sheep. The loudest most confident people are often some of the dumbest and unfortunately most influential. Even on juries.
People who think for themselves don't make it through the jury selection process.
This is why I won't go to Texas
Authoritarianism is an admission of abject weakness.
A healthy, broadly educated population, which feels safe and secure, is incompatible with, and toxic to, conservative and authoritarian ideologies.
They need you to be sick, stupid, and scared.
Huh, the article doesn't mention how many years the officer who almost shot the unarmed protestors got..
Reading the article, the guy who shot an officer with an AK probably should get time while the people who were just setting off fireworks and slashing tires, probably a misdemeanor, all things equal. (It being a government vehicle might count it as a felony, though IANAL).
The part that should disturb people isn't their arrest, but the upcharge to terrorism, which frankly has been a potential problem we've had since Bush era politics but only now getting utilized in this way. That changes due process, and if they continue to push for those types of charges, that's a problem and patriot act era laws absolutely need to get reversed if we're to ever really be safe.
That said, just to clarify those who only read the headline: this isn't the administration just targeting political opponents and calling them antifa to get them arrested. They got arrested for crimes like vandalism and assault and the antifa terrorism crap was tagged on. You're still mostly safe to participate in peaceful protests, so continue putting on pressure.
I don't know if they mentioned it in this article but the guy shot an officer after they pointed their gun at a protester. After the other murders by ICE it could definitely be argued it was defensive, and that they had weapons, which is a constitutional right (especially in Texas), to defend against potential far-right attackers.
Honestly it all sounds like they just need some better lawyers and a non trump judge. And they have a right to request a trial by jury
One of them got 30 years for distributing pamphlets.
You're referring to this part?
"Prosecutors in the case charged and secured conviction of eight of the nine defendants for providing material support for terrorists. The ninth defendant, Daniel Sanchez-Estrada was not at the protest, but was convicted of corruptly concealing a document or record after prosecutors said he moved leftwing zines and other materials at the request of Rueda, his wife, after she was arrested. Sanchez-Estrada was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Tuesday."
I don't know the details but it sounds like a concealment charge, which again isn't much of a thing unless you're falsely charged with terrorism. It's not so much the zines as the association-- but 30 years is again, obviously bullshit.
I can't look into specifics now, but is that one able to appeal? I recall it's the odd case of the 9.
It sounds an awful lot like this is the administration just targeting political opponents by calling them antifa to get them arrested.
His sentencing should be in line with the same amount of time that the people who murdered Renee Good and Alex Peretti got.
I know you're making the point that ICE murderers should be tried and convicted, but real talk, the Jan 6 convictions (mentioned in the article) are more in line with what a violent conviction would look like).
They, of course, got pardoned... but naturally if the system worked as intended, pardons wouldn't exist or be needed and sentencing wouldn't be politically motivated. Ironically at this point the only possibility for justice for these 9 are pardons, though...
Seems like the shot in the arm was to prevent the ice killing another person https://prairielanddefendants.com/defendant-writings/statement-by-benjamin-champagne-song/
When the dust settles, we'll see. It's unfortunately difficult to prove something like that, but if we ever overcome fascism (hopefully peacefully...) then the case can be revisited or they can be pardoned. At the very least, I can believe that was their intention, though.
Yeah at least some of these guys definitely deserve long prison sentences. Protests should not result in officers getting shot.
You can't really blame the state for harshly cracking down on these types of activities. Look what happened with Waco. It's not new.
Obviously different scales and some people got hit with obviously inflated sentences (guy got 30 years and didnt even go to protest). Definitely politically motivated
But just a message to the young people. You will probably not change the world in prison. The surveillance state is omniscient and heavy handed.
Daily reminder that not everything you feel needs to be put into messages or posted on the internet. Practice good OPSEC if you're participating in any sort of lawful gathering. Your freedom of speech extends to what you choose not to say.
Woah.
The USA is a Nazi occupied state and all who support the current regime are complicit in its actions
Fortunately there's very few that support Trump. And it's always been a small minority
I wish that were true. And while they are a minority, it's not THAT small of a minority of the 350-400million population. 30% is still a fuckton of people.
Yes, that's how percents work.
Fascism.
Elect a Democrat and pardon them all like Traitor Trump did for 1,500 insurrectionists.
The democrat is more likely to issue blanket pardons to trump and company in hopes of “moving forward” in a spirit of bipartisan good will.
It sickens me that you're probably right. That asswipe will never see a day in prison even though he and others in his administration deserve it so much.
Biden pardoned the kids for cash judge.
It's not left vs right, it's the global corporatists vs a very divided 'everyone else.'
This is how it always has been ever since the first monarchies
They literally shot an ar15 at the cop... And it connected.
Only if by "cop" you mean "subhuman gestapo thug about to murder people for exercising their free speech rights."
Only after the jackboot pointed a loaded weapon at innocent people. You don’t point a gun at someone unless you intend to kill them. That hero saved innocent lives.
You can read the shooter's statment here. He's a hero.
One out of like 8 people convicted.
Hopefully they will be pardoned once we purge
I wish I still had your capacity for hope.
This is state, so Texas would need a normal governor first.
… …
Well, if exersing your First Amendment rights gets you fifty years, might as well exercise your Second Amendment rights...
...they did though?
No, that guy got 100
Good news! The President only just recently set aside $1.8b worth of taxpayer dollars just for the defense of people who were unfairly prosecuted by the governm-- oh, shit... The fine print here says here that money's only available if you're THE perfectly Instagramable PR show-dog for the current administration and their anti-democratic, fascist shit-show.
Well, you know, when tyranny becomes law...
This is preposterous. The outcome is entirely disproportionate.
Yeah, good thing that Jared released that bitch that tried to steal an election. Same thing for the orange asshole releasing all the terrorists that attacked the Capitol.
Disproportionate? Those guys were heros.
I often wonder what happened to the 1200 people that they "lost track of" at Alligator Auschwitz.
edit: source: https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/25/alligator_alcatraz
Most likely been tortured in a for profit prison in El Salvador
Make your shots count people. 50 years from now odds are I'm dead anyway.
Good! The LAST thing we Want is to Set the Precedent that Using your First Amendment Right gives you LESS Jail Time then MURDER!
Let's bust 'em out.
fuck
It makes no goddamn sense.
Good riddance. I imagine rest was captured before they managed to murder any people
That'll teach them! Democracy, pfft, evil! Protesters are terrorists, there is NO difference!
I'll be amazed if anybody sentenced here will be in prison 5 years from today. The guy who shot the gun might be an exception because only a crazy person is firing guns off at other humans like this, but the rest is just bizarre.
It's never acceptable to vandalize shit but the sentences are wildly excessive.
Really, never?
Boston Tea Party was truly a tragedy. All that tea, from honest hardworking subjects of the king.
It is a deep and everlasting shame that America won that war, started with such a despicable act of vandalism.
/s
I’m not familiar with that event.
Stonewall riots. The thing that kickstarted the gay rights movement in the US
Thanks. I definitely know of the incident, but didn't recognize the photo.
The guy that fired the gun did so in response to the cop pulling his gun and firing first. Self defence.
He actually has a case that could overturn Qualified Immunity, should anyone actually let his lawyers know about the full text of §1983, not the illegally amended text that was copied into the Federal Register in 1884. The relevant Congressional Record is 1881.
Apparently there's some evidence to suggest he fired in response to the officer pulling his weapon. But the fact remains. If you're going to fire at an officer of the state. Commit. Even if you miss they will try to lock you up for life. There won't be an "understanding". Or no harm no foul with community service. The state will bury you one way or another.
Hopefully many of these with be appealed as they're fucking ridiculous. But I don't have any great hopes.
Only a crazy person shoots a gestapo thug in defense of others? (According to the article, the thug had his gun drawn and was about to start shooting protestors.)
Anyone discharging a firearm in a protest is insane man. Guns shouldn't even be there. I just imagine a giant crowd and stray bullets striking indiscriminately. I've lost multiple friends to bullets. One was a stray shot not intended to hit her at all, but she's still dead and her sons grew up without a mom.
The moment someone opens fire is an escalation point which can go a couple of ways. What if shooting the guy resulted in all of the officers drawing weapons and starting shooting? what if dozens or hundreds of lives were lost? The moment weapons fire is heard is the moment everyone assumes there is an active shooter and reacts. It's quite literally suicidal to shoot at cops, and they didn't just risk their life, they risked the lives of everyone else there.
So yeah, no. I don't really prescribe to shooting cops who haven't fired a shot and are surrounded by witnesses or cameras. Just like I don't condone them shooting unarmed protestors.
I remember being at Occupy protests and watching and experiencing violence and unlawful arrests from police
Then on the national call we realized that cities with open carry laws didn't experience such violence from police, because natives joined with guns.
We have very recent history of guns keeping protestors safe from police
Vandalism and property damage is not violence.
Drawing a weapon on nonviolent protesters is a threat of violence.
The Nazi literally shot first.
The guy who shot the police only did so after police pointed a loaded firearm at unarmed protestors
I don’t agree with the terrorism charges. But I hate when you read about protestors and then come to find out that some decided to destroy shit.
Sure, but you can tell how asymmetrical things are when the cons think it's fine to attack the Capitol building and threaten to hang a VP - and in the process carry out damage against property, too.
But then the far right goes into hysterics over their (false) claims that BLM "burned cities to the ground" in 2020. Same goes for property damage here.
They don't seem to really care about black people dying; but if any property damage happens in the vicinity of a protest - commence the clutching of pearls...
OH NO the poor Nazis had their tires slashed and windows broken, get outta here with that. ICE has openly murdered people and are abusing thousands. They're lucky there aren't lynch mobs chasing them.
Wait till you hear what a guy called John Brown did. You'd really hate that one.
To be frank, an outright war would be justified atp
These people really fucked up. It's one thing to go and protest, to stand in the way of unjust cruelty. Vandalizing and destruction of government property is not good but it's forgivable. Do a few months in jail and go back to your life.
Where they fucked up is that one of their group is hiding in the woods with a rifle, and he shoots someone. They must have known this guy was going into the woods with the rifle... If they didn't know then I feel sorry for them but if they knew then they really fucked up.
I'm just saying, if you don't want to go to prison for a long time then don't do crimes with an armed guy you met online.
You can read the shooter's statement here. He was a former Marine instructor wearing high vis there to protect the protesters. The officer he shot was about to shoot a fleeing protester. He probably saved their life.
That's really interesting. I read it couple of times. I can see that a person that presents like this wouldn't raise an alarm as someone who can't be trusted. It's also interesting that he says he was standing in the street in plain view with reflective safety stripes, while the guardian article says he was firing from the woods.
News usually repeats what the police says, that is what the police stated in court. I could cite at least 100 cases where police have lied in these types of situations. I haven't seen any actual evidence of where he shot from so I'm not sure.
Its interesting that you think it matters when the either guy is a magat
Hint: we would be justified to do a fascism to them the first opportunity we get
How about the guy who got 30 years for distributing pamphlets and wasn't even there? Got a justification for that one?
"antifa"
I said I think they fucked up. You think everything turned out okay?
"I'm just saying, if you don't want to go to prison don't ever have a conversation with someone who might someday commit a crime, while doing absolutely nothing illegal." Its ridiculous to blame the victims here.