"Protecting the Right to Protest", 04 September 2024

...[A]s the climate crisis deepens, and the voices of those demanding solutions grow louder, I’m more alarmed by the silencing of activists than ever before...

In the past few years, corporate interests have been working extra hard to erode the right to do what activists do when they come together to address a problem: speak out, organize, collaborate, raise funds, and when other avenues of democratic participation fail to produce results, put their bodies on the line through acts of nonviolent civil disobedience.

These are all different forms of protest, and all are essential tools in the toolbox of those seeking to prevent the plunder of our planet.

For communities most excluded from decision-making processes, protest is often the only avenue of democratic participation that’s readily available...

A primary driver of the crackdown on climate protest is the same driver of the climate crisis: fossil fuel corporations. so they can continue to frack, drill and mine unchallenged, without addressing the human and ecological cost of continued extraction.

The systemic attack on peaceful protest takes many forms, including Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and anti-protest legislation...