Human rights experts and activists say the crackdown on climate protests across Europe will not increase after a Guardian investigation found countries across the continent are using repressive measures to silence activists. I am warning you.
In Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, authorities have responded to climate change protests with mass arrests, passing tough new laws, imposing heavy prison sentences for nonviolent protests, and labeling activists as hooligans. etc. are supported. saboteurs and eco-terrorists.
The crackdown comes despite calls from senior human rights defenders and environmental activists to allow civil space for the right to non-violent protest in the wake of record heat in southern Europe, blamed on climate change. It was done regardless.
Experts say Britain has been at the forefront of the crackdown, with judges recently rejecting an appeal against a multi-year prison sentence for a climate change activist who blocked a motorway bridge in east London. The three-year prison terms handed down to Marcus Dekker and Morgan Trowland earlier this year are believed to be the longest sentences handed down by a British judge for non-violent protests.
The ruling comes after protesters in the UK have been forced to take action against the right to protest, including two sweeping new laws passed in the past two years that give police discretion to ban protests deemed “disruptive”. The decision comes as the government attempts to navigate a new legal environment that includes significant restrictions. and criminalize many protest tactics.
Michel Forst, UN rapporteur on environmentalists since June last year, described the situation in the UK as “horrifying”. He added that other countries are “considering the UK example with a view to passing similar laws in their own countries, which would have a devastating impact on Europe.”
“I have traveled to many countries in Europe since taking office, and there are clear trends,” Forst told the Guardian. “We’re seeing more and more of these climate change activists being taken to court, and we’re seeing increasingly harsh laws being passed to facilitate attacks on their defenders.”
He added: “I’m sure there is a European partnership between police forces against this type of activity. That’s when I’m concerned. [governments] Calling these people eco-terrorists, using new forms of slander and slander… It has a huge impact on how people perceive them and the cause these people are fighting for. I’ll give it. That’s a big concern for me. ”
Amnesty International said it was investigating the continent-wide crackdown on protests. “People around the world are bravely raising their voices for urgent action on the climate crisis, but many are not peaceful They are facing dire consequences for their actions.”
“European countries are not doing enough to tackle the climate crisis, so peaceful protesters have no choice but to take public protests and non-violent direct action.
“There is alarming evidence of criminalization, harassment, stigmatization, and negative rhetoric against environmental activists.”
Rather than demonize and limit peaceful environmental defenders, Motock said, “European governments should [their] We focus our energy on open dialogue with activists and organizations to solve the climate crisis. Climate protesters are not a nuisance and should not be silenced or suppressed. ”
In June, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović also called for an end to the crackdown on environmental activists. Last December, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk appealed to governments to protect the “civic space” of young environmental activists and “not crack down on them as we have seen in many parts of the world.” Ta.
There was widespread outrage this summer when France’s interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, used one of the state’s most powerful tools to order a ban on one of the country’s leading environmental protest groups.
Local environmental group Les Soulévements de la Terre staged a series of protests, using tactics including sabotage, but ended in violent clashes with police, leading President Darmanin to label the activists as “far-left”. ” and denounced him as an “eco-terrorist.”
In the Netherlands, more than 1,500 people were arrested after police used water cannons to break up one of a series of roadblock protests on the A12 motorway in The Hague in May. Seven climate change activists have been found guilty of riot charges, which have never been brought against climate change protesters, in connection with online posts calling for them to join earlier demonstrations.
In Sweden, about 20 members of Återställ Våtmark [Restore Wetlands] A group was found guilty of sabotage for blocking a motorway in the capital Stockholm. Some people were detained for up to four weeks for participating in the protests.
In May, police in Germany carried out nationwide raids against the Retzte generation (last generation) group. The group’s supporters have been on the streets almost weekly for months, and art galleries and other cultural spaces have also been targeted. At the direction of the police, the group’s homepage was shut down and members’ belongings were confiscated.
Police have arrested more than 4,000 Last Generation supporters who took part in roadblocks in Berlin alone, the latest tally provided by activists.
Italian authorities have used anti-organized crime laws to crack down on protests, and the Ultima Generazione (also known as Last Generation) group has been blocking roads since last year. In April, Digos police, which specializes in counter-terrorism, said the group’s acts of civil disobedience did not occur spontaneously, but were organized, discussed and considered by internal hierarchy. justified the use of anti-mafia laws to target . This also comes with new, tougher penalties for protests, with activists facing fines of up to €40,000 for actions targeting art and other cultural heritage.
“These restrictions on environmental protests across Europe and the UK are incredibly short-sighted,” said Richard Piershouse, head of environment at Human Rights Watch. They don’t understand that we all have a huge interest in seeing more people take to the streets to demand stronger action against change.
“Governments need to respect the rights of assembly and expression and step up efforts to protect the environment and tackle climate change. That is the only way we will emerge from this climate crisis with our democratic institutions intact.” is.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The right to protest is a fundamental part of democracy, but we must also protect the right of the law-abiding majority to go about their daily lives.”
“The Public Order Act creates new criminal offenses and appropriate penalties for selfish and guerrilla protest tactics.”
France’s interior ministry said local authorities have the right to ban demonstrations that pose a serious risk of disrupting public order. “These one-off bans, which are very few and far between, are not imposed on the grounds of demonstrations.”
Italy’s Interior Ministry cited an April statement by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, saying attacks on monuments would cause economic damage to local communities and cost significant amounts of money to clean up. “The person who caused the damage must personally pay compensation.”
Germany’s Interior Ministry declined to comment. Bavaria’s interior ministry referred the Guardian to the Munich public prosecutor’s office, which confirmed in a June statement that it had authorized wiretapping of the mobile phones of six of the seven Last Generation members under criminal investigation. It was announced that.
Sweden’s Interior Ministry declined to comment. The Dutch Ministry of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.