A dark day for democracy: Greenpeace urges govt to restore right to protest

Commenting on the lengthy jail sentences imposed on climate activists for planning a peaceful protest, following a trial where the defendants were prevented from fully explaining the reasons for their actions, Greenpeace UK's programme director Amy Cameron said:

"This is a dark day for the right to protest, a pillar of our democracy. Without it, we would have no votes for women, basic workers' rights or an end to coal and commercial whaling. What sort of country locks people away for years for planning a peaceful demonstration, let alone for talking about it on a Zoom call? We're giving a free hand to the polluting elite robbing us of a habitable planet while jailing those who're trying to stop them - it makes no sense.

"These sentences are not a one-off anomaly, but the culmination of years of repressive legislation, overblown government rhetoric and a concerted assault on the right of juries to deliberate according to their conscience. This judicial crackdown on climate activists has gotten out of hand and is now a major international embarrassment. It's part of the mess the Labour government has inherited from its predecessor and they must fix it by giving back to people the right to protest that's been slowly being taken away from them.

"Starmer's ministers should repeal the gagging laws brought in by the Conservatives and instruct the Attorney General to meet with campaigners and the UN rapporteur on environmental defenders to discuss a way forward."

ENDS

Contact: Stefano Gelmini, Greenpeace UK's head of news on 07506 512442 and at [email protected]