Anti-China activists face federal criminal charges

Source: The Associated Press

Two anti-China activists are facing federal criminal charges for climbing onto the roof of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco to protest human rights abuses in Tibet.

Nyendak Wangden and Brihannala Morgan appeared in court Thursday to be advised of the charges of a law that prohibits infringing diplomatic properties "with intent to intimidate, coerce, threaten or harass."

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of six months in prison. They were released on $25,000 bonds with orders to stay away from the consulate.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_us/olympics_protests_1

They're lucky they're getting only a federal charge.

Be interesting to see if this can be made into a case. How do you determine "intent" from climbing on the roof of the consulate? And let's see, two activists can intimidate China? Not likely. Two people can coerce a nation of a billion people? What a bunch of pushovers! Threaten? Let me try that: Give me five bucks or else! Hmmm. Nothing. Those Chinese may be tougher than I thought. Harass. Well, I can see that, I guess. But if you stack "harassment" up against government oppression, torture and denial of human rights, being harassed is really rather tame.

It's too damn bad we owe the Chinese so much money thanks to the reckless economic policies of the Bush administration.

...is representing your cause as just and lawful. What they did was ignorant and foolish because it was unlawful.

By golly, doing something unlawful is just ignorant and foolish! Go sit in the back of the bus where you're supposed to be, civil rights will come along eventually. And that lunch counter isn't for the likes of you! We're not going to serve you, and you're just making a scene and causing good, decent folks to be discomfited. If you wind up buried under a dam, then that's probably what you had coming to you.

I get it now. Thanks.

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I believe that the Chinese could certainly have done so while they were trespassing. This is, of course, Chinese territory for purposes of law and diplomacy.