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Extinction Rebellion is being considered for reclassification as an organized crime group following a protest that prevented many UK national newspapers from reaching the stands, according to a report.
Ministers are said to be considering the possibility of protecting “principles of democracy”, such as the courts and the press, after the demonstrations. prevented the distribution of millions of newspapers on Saturday.
The environmental campaign group targeted Newsprinters’ printing houses in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire and Knowsley, near Liverpool, leaving newsstands empty across the country.
The demonstrations prevented the distribution of millions of newspapers. Image: XR
Protesters used bamboo zippers to block the road outside the Broxbourne reservoir
Citing government sources, the Press Association (PA) news agency says Secretary of the Interior Priti Patel wants to “take a fresh look” at how Extinction rebellion (XR) is classified by law after the protest.
Appearing on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge Sunday, Foreign secretary Dominic raab He did not confirm the Palestinian Authority report, but said that “we always keep all our laws under review” and wants “to ensure that such behavior is not repeated.”
Previously on the show, Labor MP Diane abbott defended XR and compared the group to suffragettes, saying it would be “ridiculous” to reclassify them as an organized crime group as “they are not criminals, they are protesters and activists” – comments that Raab said he was “shocked”.
He described the idea of blocking newspaper distribution as “perverse”, adding that it was “detrimental to the cause of climate change“.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, a former energy and climate change secretary, told the show that XR’s actions were undermining the group’s message, saying protesters were “shooting themselves in the foot.”
More than 100 XR protesters used vehicles and bamboo locks to block roads outside the Newsprinters works overnight, and both protests continued through Saturday afternoon.
About 80 people were arrested at the two sites, Merseyside and Hertfordshire police said.
The repositories print the titles of Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp, including The Sun, The Times, The Sun On Sunday and The Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday.
According to Palestinian Authority government sources, ministers want to take drastic measures XR Activities, which have included crippling cities across the UK by forming human barriers along main roads and disrupting public transport.
Under additional proposals, parliament, the courts and the press could be given special status with respect to the key role they play in democracy, with the possibility that the police have greater powers to prevent protesters from entering designated areas outside. of said premises.
“It would be illegal to prevent parliamentarians from voting or judges to go to court and it would also protect a free press,” a government source told the Palestinian Authority.
XR climate activists also took part in demonstrations in London on Saturday
XR apologized to newsstands for the outage on Saturday, but said it would not apologize to Murdoch, asking him to “stop hiding the truth about the climate crisis and profit from the division your newspapers create.”
Responding to Ms Patel’s criticism that her actions were an “attack on our free press”, XR said: “Our free press, society and democracy are under attack, by a failed government that constantly lies to us, it is becoming increasingly authoritarian and is leading us toward four degrees of warming. “
Another XR protest took place in Motherwell, with the aim of disrupting distribution of Saturday’s Scottish Sun newspaper, but no arrests were made.
There was also a large police presence in central London on Saturday when the group organized further demonstrations.
