The UK has led the way in the crackdown, experts say, with judges recently refusing an appeal against multi-year sentences for climate activists who blocked a motorway bridge in east London. The three-year jail terms for Marcus Decker and Morgan Trowland earlier this year are thought to be the longest handed out by a British judge for non-violent protest.

Michel Forst, the UN rapporteur on environmental defenders since June last year, described the situation in the UK as “terrifying”. He added that other countries were “looking at the UK examples with a view to passing similar laws in their own countries, which will have a devastating effect for Europe”.

He added: “I’m sure that there is European cooperation among the police forces against these kinds of activities. My concern is that when [governments] are calling these people eco-terrorists, or are using new forms of vilifications and defamation … it has a huge impact on how the population may perceive them and the cause for which these people are fighting. It is a huge concern for me.”

  • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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    1 year ago

    Travel is a human right. Having the use of your own car and the use of the public thoroughfare to drive it in is a civil right. (Edit: I misspoke. The right to own property is considered a human right under Article 17. Denying the use of a car except by legal fiat is considered a human rights violation, not a civil rights violation.)

    Impeding traffic is a violation of civil and human rights.

    I am willing to argue this here. I am not willing to argue it on the street. On the street, I will respond to such a violation with any necessary level of force to end that violation.

    Get the hell out of the road.

    • Shalakushka@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I’m sooooooo super ready to mow down some climate protestors daddy oil company, pick meeeeeeee

    • onion@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      You don’t stop owning your car if someone is sitting in front of it, therefore your property rights aren’t violated.

      • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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        1 year ago

        You don’t stop owning your house if someone stops you from entering it, but you are still deprived of the functional use of your property. Your property rights are absolutely violated when someone stops you from using your property. Until “driving a car” is made illegal, impeding a driver violates the driver’s property rights.