PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A Black Lives Matter organizer who interfered with an arrest by police in southern California has been sentenced to 90 days in jail.
Richards was convicted last week of trying to take a person from the “lawful custody of a peace officer.”
Protesters demanding her freedom chanted “Free Jasmine Now” outside the courthouse as she was sentenced. More than 84,000 people have signed an online letter of support for her.
Richards was with a group of protesters at a park last September when a woman approached who allegedly had left a restaurant without paying. Prosecutors argued that Richards incited people to interfere with the woman’s arrest.
Jasmine Richards will be given credit for 18 days she already spent in jail. She also must attend anger management classes.
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Eh, protesters of all types and colors often do stupid things during protests, no matter the message they are trying to convey. So it’s not hard to believe that this woman got in a cop’s face or tried to pull the alleged dine-and-dasher away from cops. And so maybe her arrest and conviction are warranted.
But…90 days in jail? That’s like…half what Rapey McRaperson the Swimmer got! There must be something different between Mr. McRaperson and this BLM protestor that would cause such a seemingly unjust imbalance in sentencing.
I wish I could figure out what that difference might be…