You can argue that they deserve less time, or that politics shouldn't be a part of their sentencing (I'd agree with you on both counts) but this isn't a First Amendment thing.
I don’t usually engage with content like this on HN but the title vastly understates what actually occurred, below is from the article:
“After a three-week jury trial, the nine activists were all found guilty of a slew of criminal charges in March, stemming from a Fourth of July protest at an immigrant detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, south of Fort Worth. The demonstrators arrived late at night with a plan to set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration to show solidarity with those detained inside. A few of the protesters spontaneously broke off from the main group and vandalized cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed the tires on a government van and broke a security camera. When a police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon, one of the activists fired an AR-15 from the woods, hitting the officer in the shoulder. The officer survived.”
> The sentences of the eight defendants were for the following offenses:
Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
...
Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
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[ 76.6 ms ] story [ 970 ms ] thread“After a three-week jury trial, the nine activists were all found guilty of a slew of criminal charges in March, stemming from a Fourth of July protest at an immigrant detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, south of Fort Worth. The demonstrators arrived late at night with a plan to set off fireworks as part of a noise demonstration to show solidarity with those detained inside. A few of the protesters spontaneously broke off from the main group and vandalized cars in the parking lot, a guard shack, slashed the tires on a government van and broke a security camera. When a police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon, one of the activists fired an AR-15 from the woods, hitting the officer in the shoulder. The officer survived.”
Riot, with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc.
...
Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States, involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought an Alvarado Police Officer who was assisting federal officers/agents.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/leader-antifa-cell-members-no...