<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/sep/10/climate-rights-report-draconian-measures-protest>
"Wealthy, democratic countries in the global north are using harsh, vague and
punitive measures to crack down on climate protests at the same time as
criticising similar draconian tactics by authorities in the global south,
according to a report.
A Climate Rights International report exposes the increasingly heavy-handed
treatment of climate activists in Australia, Germany, France, the Netherlands,
Sweden, the UK and the US.
It found the crackdown in these countries – including lengthy prison sentences,
preventive detention and harassment – was a violation of governments’ legal
responsibility to protect basic rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and
association.
It also highlights how these same governments frequently criticise regimes in
developing countries for not respecting the right to protest peacefully.
“Governments too often take such a strong and principled view about the right
to peaceful protest in other countries – but when they don’t like certain kinds
of protests at home they pass laws and deploy the police to stop them,” said
Brad Adams, director at Climate Rights International.
Across Europe, the US and the UK, authorities have responded to non-violent
climate protests with mass arrests and draconian new laws that have resulted in
long prison sentences. In some instances those who have taken part have been
labelled as hooligans, saboteurs or ecoterrorists by politicians and the media.
Senior human rights advocates and environmental campaigners have raised
concerns about the crackdown and called on governments to protect the right to
non-violent protest.
“These defenders are basically trying to save the planet, and in doing so save
humanity,” Mary Lawlor, the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders,
told the
Guardian last year. “These are people we should be protecting, but
are seen by governments and corporations as a threat to be neutralised. In the
end it’s about power and economics.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
