The right to express dissent peacefully it is a fundamental pillar of every democracy. However, on a global level, a dangerous tendency towards criminalization and repression of climate and environmental protests. This is revealed by a new study conducted by the University of Bristol, funded by the Strategic Research Fund of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, which analyzed data from various sources, including the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) and Global Witness, revealing an alarming picture.
The study identified four main mechanisms through which this repression takes place:
From police brutality to the use of anti-terrorism laws against peaceful protesters, the study highlights how many states are adopting increasingly repressive measures to stifle dissent, depoliticizing activists. “This is a worrying authoritarian drift that threatens not only the right to protest, but also freedom of expression and citizen participation in matters of public interest“, he says Oscar Berglundlead author of the study and lecturer in international public and social policy School of Policy Studies University of Bristol.
The numbers speak for themselves: over 2,000 environmental defenders have been killed since 2012, with a peak of 227 deaths in 2020. “Arrest is a common response: 20% of all climate and environmental protests in Australia and 17% in the UK involve arrests. The international average is 6.3%,” the report reads.
But repression is not limited to physical violence. Governments are introducing new laws which, under the pretext of protecting public order, effectively limit the right to protest. “Since 2019, 22 new pieces of legislation aimed at limiting people’s ability to protest have been introduced in 14 countries“, underlines Berglund. “These new laws establish new offenses and further criminalize protest, increasing the length of sentences for non-violent protests and giving police additional powers to stop protests.”
Another worrying aspect is the misuse of anti-terrorism and anti-organised crime laws to target activists. “These laws, designed to combat much more serious phenomena, are exploited to repress dissent and delegitimize environmentalist demands,” explains Berglund. “For example, the UK Counter-Terrorism Bill 2020 has a broad definition of terrorism, with severe penalties (up to life imprisonment) and suspension of due process.”
The study highlights how this trend is transversal, affecting both the countries of the North and South of the worldregardless of their level of democracy. “The criminalization of environmental protests is a global phenomenon that requires a global response,” says Berglund. “It is vital that the international community mobilizes to protect the right to peaceful protest and ensure that activists are not persecuted for their efforts to defend the environment.”
The report concludes with a series of recommendations addressed to governments and international institutions. Among these:
“Protest is not a crime, but an expression of active citizenship“, concludes Berglund. “At a time in history when the climate crisis requires urgent action, it is more important than ever to ensure that the voices of those fighting for a sustainable future can be heard.”
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