Syndicate9,
Sorry, I'm new to this forum but I don't see how a few crosses on someone's bag intimidates anyone.
It isn't about the symbols (XXXX) themselves, it is about the intent of the group behind them. Some vicious individuals displaying unsavoury behaviour ..... which is the reason behind some of the disciplinaries and sackings.
The BASSA hardcore have displayed a nasty streak, within their own community, and it makes other cabin crew uncomfortable being around them. The hardcore know this, hence the XXXX symbol of defiance. Think of it like being in proximity to a neo-nazi group of thugs, waving their banners and swastikas - not an experience many would chose. The symbol is
intended to intimidate. Sure, there are those who can brush it off, but it can be an uncomfortable experience for many others.
But, as many here have pointed out, BASSA thuggery is being weeded out, slowly and surely. BASSA has become, by it's own actions, a sideshow in the bigger circus of industrial relations. They are an anomaly that needed sorting, and it has come to pass!