Britain at forefront of suppressing climate activism Results of new academic study

Research shows that British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average, making the UK a global leader in cracking down on climate activism.

Oscar Berglund, a political economist at the University of Bristol who led the study told British media that only Australia has a higher arrest rate, with 20% of eco-protests leading to arrests compared to 17% in the UK while the global average is just 6.7%.

The study highlights a growing trend of targeting climate and environmental protesters, reflecting a global rise in suppressing dissent as crises in climate, biodiversity, and pollution escalate. While the number and proportion of protests related to environmental destruction have increased over the past decade, the response from many governments has been punitive rather than addressing the root causes.

Among countries analyzed, arrest rates varied significantly. The highest rates were seen in the global north, with Australia and the UK leading, followed by Norway at 15.1%. These findings underscore the focus on penalizing dissent in wealthier nations rather than resolving the environmental issues driving the protests.

By Nazrin Sadigova