The international “climate action” called Extinction Rebellion (XR) that has started in the UK and is now also growing in the US, Australia, Spain and other places of Europe is appealing against Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) for including their movement on the “terrorist list” produced and entitled “Safeguarding young people and adults from ideological extremism”. The movement is now threatening a legal action against the counter-terrorism police CTPSE, protesting against this action which tags them as extreme organization carrying ideologies that is, apparently according to the documents, similar to the Neo-nazis, the Islamic Jihadists, and other so-called terrorist groups.
According itself to XR’s VMG statement, their movement is a non-violent protest action promoting civil disobedience that aims to “create a world fit for the next generations to live in” and that also tries to “prevent the rich elite from perpetuating a self-serving ideology”. On their website, XR have stated:
“Our vision of change is sufficiently broad that it can contain a variety of opinions on how best to work towards that change: a healthy, beautiful world, where individuality and creativity are supported, and where people work together, solving problems and finding meaning, with courage, power and love. This will be underpinned by cultures rooted in respect for nature, genuine freedoms and justice.”
Meanwhile, the CTPSE said that they are now re-considering their statement by reviewing the 12-pages guidelines which have been already issued to the UK citizens including policemen, civil servants, and teachers. The document seems to suggests that XR is among the extremist groups because of its “anti-establishment philosophy” and that those who support this movement by “speaking in strong or emotive terms about environmental issues like climate change, ecology, fracking, airport expansion or pollution” might also be seen as terrorists and should be reported to authorities. However, according to Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, the head of CTPSE:
“I would like to make it quite clear that we do not classify Extinction Rebellion as an extremist organization. The inclusion of Extinction Rebellion in this document was an error of judgment and we will now be reviewing all of the contents as a result.”
During the recent months last year, some members of this organization has joined protests in Sydney, Australia against its government’s attitude towards the worsening fire that is now destroying huge forests, wildlife habitats, establishments, and houses while also killing millions of animals and few people. In London last October, XR also organized a 10 day demonstration which successfully shut down some important areas of the city. Meanwhile, according to the outline of its 2020 strategic plans, XR stated:
“Institutions – political, media, industry – might have begun to admit the truth, but they’re still failing to act. So, now it’s up to us to show them how. The plan going forward is simple: it’s time to make specific demands, on a local, regional and national level, calling for the changes our planet needs to see. And if we don’t get them? We’ll take matters into our own hands and make those changes happen ourselves.”
It also continued to state:
“On a local and regional level there will be a focus on training, resourcing and empowering rebels to demand specific changes of their local institutions. Be it calling for a car free city centre to help our children breathe, an end to local airport expansion, or the halting of a new coal mine, in 2020 our priority is for local groups to become powerful enough to demand those changes themselves. We create our active, ongoing rebellion together.”
Sources:
