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This ‘who’s who’ poster listing of groups in the UK that the police are telling people to ‘Run Hide Tell’ on is totally bonkers. Unfortunately it is not surprising. [1] See Poster here.

It is ‘Crude Divisive Dangerous’.

The guidance document makes it clear that not all the signs and symbols are of counterterrorism interest. However, if that’s the case, why include them in a counterterrorism document? Anyone who interacts with Greenpeace or UK Uncut is technically a terrorist anyway, according to this document…

This is nothing short of pointing a finger at anyone that thinks differently to ‘business as usual’ – which is taking humanity to its grave – and lumping them all together. The chilling effect is to leave people feeling under scrutiny, watched and pressurised, feeling othered, ashamed or afraid to be open about the things they care about such as the environment and the world around us. In the past few months we’ve seen cases of people being banned from political conferences, asked to keep quiet at work and investigated by employers for speaking out against company policy and taking days off to go on strike. 

This labeling of ordinary people – grandparents, doctors, pregnant mothers, bus drivers, rabbis and more – concerned about the environment is deeply concerning and puts them at risk at a time when society needs to come together and face the climate and ecological emergency. 

Paul Stephens, Former Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police for 34 years working in people safeguarding, said:  “The police need to be very careful right now. They are acting in ways that influence people politically publishing literature that can deter young people from protesting peacefully to save their own lives!”

George Ferguson CBE – former elected Mayor of Bristol and past President RIBA, said: “It makes my blood boil to see Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace and other vital climate campaigns being listed together with genuinely hateful extremist organisations. This is outrageous misuse of the Prevent legislation and an assault on our democracy and deeply misleading to schools and young people.”

Notes to editors

[1] https://rebellion.earth/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Counter-terrorism-poster.pdf / https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/17/greenpeace-included-with-neo-nazis-on-uk-counter-terror-list

About Extinction Rebellion

Time has almost entirely run out to address the ecological crisis which is upon us, including the 6th mass species extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices, with human extinction also a possibility, if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.

Extinction Rebellion’s key demands are:

1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
3. Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

What Emergency? | Extinction Rebellion in Numbers |This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook

Get involved

• In the UK, come to one of our events, join the Rebellion Network and let us know how you can help out.
• Start a group where you are: in the UK or around the world.
• Find your local group.
• Check out the International XR website, with links to the French, German, Italian and UK websites.
• And while your time and energy are of most importance, if you are financially able to donate money, see our crowdfunder.

About Rising Up!

Extinction Rebellion emerged from the Rising Up! network, which promotes a fundamental change of our political and economic system to one which maximises well-being and minimises harm. Change needs to be nurtured in a culture of reverence, gratitude and inclusion while the tools of civil disobedience and direct action are used to express our collective power.