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Author Topic: Tracking state abuse (including use of terrorism laws) of environmental protesto  (Read 3286 times)

ccgwebmaster

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I thought it might be interesting to start a topic to keep track of nation states using terrorism legislation or other abusive behaviour against environmental protest groups (particularly for peaceful protests where the behaviour of the public agencies involved is not valid).

One from America:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/10/terror-charges-oklahoma-fossil-fuel-protest?commentpage=1

Police infiltrating protest groups to the extent of having children (!) with the people in them.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/jan/20/undercover-police-children-activists

The establishment of the UK database for protestors, including people with no previous criminal records and who have committed no crime (unless peacefully attending a protest counts):

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/feb/09/protester-sues-police-surveillance-database

Inappropriate and unwarranted harassment of protestors by the police (I mean, who confiscates soap?):

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/01/kingsnorth-power-station-climate-camp

Police propaganda - lies and misinformation from a body that should be trustworthy:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/cif-green/2010/aug/27/oil-slick-climate-camp-smear

More lies from those who are meant to be trustworthy by their role in society (70 police officers injured, but the truth?):

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/dec/15/kingsnorth-climate-change-environment-police

I'm making this list because I don't think people quite appreciate the darker side of the authorities and how they are handling (and intend to handle) climate change. I don't think people get that there is a lot of surveillance and potential violence (and sometimes actual violence) already at play in terms of repressing the common man in the street should they dare to get unruly over issues like climate change.

Maybe people reading this might not be aware this is happening - and with frequency - maybe they haven't joined up the dots or don't remember enough such examples to build a case - that's why I think it might be worth maintaining a catalogue of examples.

It's in "Off-topic" as I have no idea where else it would belong.

I'm especially looking for examples where the protestors were clearly within the law or the response was massively disproportionate.

If we cannot trust the police to be impartial enforcers of law and protectors of society, but rather to be subservient agents of our socioeconomic overloads - and we cannot trust over overlords to do the right thing - how can we sit around expecting change to somehow happen? Do we not need to confront the fact that a fight may well be needed - and a big one - and one that cannot happen for as long as we all sit around waiting for something?

Tom_Mazanec

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Texas Charges Oil Port Protesters Under New Fossil Fuel Protection Law
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16092019/oil-port-protesters-charged-texas-fossil-fuel-infrastructure-law-pipelines-greenpeace-houston
Quote
This could be the first test of a wave of laws enacted in several states in recent years targeting protests over pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure.

sidd

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Phil42

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There is currently a situation unfolding in Bern (capital of Switzerland) which I am afraid could lead to a wave of repression against environmental protestors that this country has not seen before. I couldn't really find english coverage about the situation except for this article.

A wide alliance of environmental groups (climate strike, extinction rebellion and many more) have set up a camp on the parliament square early monday morning to increase pressure on our politicians to finally act. Discussions about how to "deal" with them heated up fast and right-wing politicians call for very hard measures to remove them. At the moment they are still there. Police presence is increasing by the hour. Police has already used tear gas and rubber bullets on a nearby pro-asylum-protest without any apparent reason. The atmosphere is Bern is tense as the camp is right in front of the federal building and all the politicians have to say something too.

On a side note, in the city I live in someone got sentenced to 8 months of prison for simply attending an anti-fascist protest. The levels of state repression are getting to a new level in this country. I am afraid this will continue with the current climate camp.

My full solidarity goes to all people that are currently there. I hope the police abstains from using violence against peaceful protestors for once, but my hopes are low. I will probably update again in a few days about what happened.

(I didn't really know where to post this, I hope this thread is the right place)

nanning

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Thanks for that info Phil42, please keep us updated.
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gerontocrat

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The UK took the first steps to classify Extinction Rebellion as an organised crime group a couple of weeks ago. Looks like the howls of protest have made the Gov walk it back for a bit.

If it is, those involved with it and arrested at protests could end up with up to 5 years in the slammer..

Some might think certain institutions financed by the fossil fuel industry and certain fossil fuel companies should be classified as organised crime groups. Now that would be good.
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Neven

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This is why it's important to stand up to the muzzling of people like Alex Jones etc on Facebook and YouTube, instead of cheering it on. Because eventually it will lead to much harsher and more widespread crackdowns on leftist groups (who are a real threat to the system).

Same goes for Russiagate. Cheer that stuff on, and you end up with having to explain how Bernie Sanders isn't a Kremlin stooge. And a New Cold War.
The enemy is within
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Tom_Mazanec

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Neven, you've posted 7,751 posts and I suspect the above is the best one of the lot.
Liked.
EDIT: Before you ask, yes, NARAL should have a right to speak out for "freedom to choose" (and I should have a right to oppose them, of course).

sidd

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Yes, i think i posted elsewhere about this.

https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,2273.msg210904.html#msg210904

for example.  For a more contemporaray take, here is Rowan Atkinson about free speech and other things:

"the reasonable and well-intentioned ambition to contain obnoxious elements in society has created a society of an extraordinarily authoritarian and controlling nature that is what you might call the new intolerance a new but intense desire to gag uncomfortable voices of dissent. I am NOT intolerant say many people say, many softly spoken highly educated and liberal minded people. "I am only intolerant of intolerance" and people tend to nod sagely and say "yes wise words, wise words." And yet if you think about this supposedly inarguable statement for longer than 5 seconds you realize that all it is advocating is the replacement of one kind of intolerance with another which to me doesn't represent any kind of progress at all "

"the best way to increase society's resistance to insulting or offensive speech is to allow a lot more of it. As with childhood diseases you can better resist those germs to which you have been exposed. We need to build our immunity to taking offense"

" the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression it is more speech and that's the essence of my thesis more speech if we want a robust society we need more robust dialogue and that must include the right to insult or to offend  ...  the freedom to be inoffensive is no freedom at all"



sidd