> Previous practitioners of civil disobedience clearly thought that submission to punishment was necessary for their actions to be justified.
No, a subset of prior civil disobedients willingly submitted to punishment to allow their disobedience to remain justified in the public view so they could continue their civil disobedience after punishment. This has not been a rule among civil disobedients, but a feature common to some.
However, submission to punishment is often especially helpful in cases of indirect civil disobedience, not only because the punishment is just, but because it absolves the disobedient of accusations of infidelity to the legal system in which s/he acts. Still not a requirement, though, as it can be detrimental to continued disobedience and successful initiation of change.
No, a subset of prior civil disobedients willingly submitted to punishment to allow their disobedience to remain justified in the public view so they could continue their civil disobedience after punishment. This has not been a rule among civil disobedients, but a feature common to some.
However, submission to punishment is often especially helpful in cases of indirect civil disobedience, not only because the punishment is just, but because it absolves the disobedient of accusations of infidelity to the legal system in which s/he acts. Still not a requirement, though, as it can be detrimental to continued disobedience and successful initiation of change.