Far Right Unskilled Rabble Unable to Compete Fairly Are Speeding Up the UK's Economic Fall & Blame Migrants for Joblessness and Climate Induced Natural Demographic Decline!
An article by Oscar Berglund in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists last week reported that record prison sentences were imposed on five British climate activists for organizing a multi-day protest on the M25, the motorway encircling London. Four activists were sentenced to four years each, while the fifth, Roger Hallam, received a five-year sentence. These sentences represent a concerning increase in the criminalization of climate protests in the UK and elsewhere.
The sentences stem directly from a series of anti-protest laws enacted by the former Conservative government, which have faced significant criticism from human rights organizations, the United Nations, and climate scientists. Some of these recent legislations are currently under dispute in UK courts by the human rights NGO Liberty. The emphasis of the new laws has been on law enforcement, punishment, and the power of juries to acquit defendants.
Regarding policing, the police have been granted significantly increased powers to halt protests both during their occurrence and before they begin. In sentencing matters, recent sentences have set a precedent for longer terms, and new legislation provides for even harsher sentences. Judicial changes have also increased the probability of incarcerating non-violent activists. Defenses that protesters could previously employ, such as necessity to act or having a lawful excuse, have been curtailed. This reduction in defense options has led judges to prevent defendants from explaining their motivations to juries, reducing the chances of acquittal based on conscience.
Recent developments have paradoxically created a scenario where courts cannot consider the climate crisis when judging a growing number of climate activists. This omission strips away a crucial element of what climate activists consider political trials. Although the British judicial system aims to exclude politics from the courtroom, it does not erase the political context that led to the activists' presence. A comprehensive examination of these politics is essential for a deeper understanding of these verdicts.
Editor's Note: Despite assertions by Europe's social scientists that the fertility decline is not linked to "Western" sperm counts, petro-pharmaceutical plastics, phthalates, endocrine disruptors, or increased heat and UV radiation—factors typically associated with fertility issues—climate-induced migration and the physical impacts of extreme heat and UV on fertility remain overlooked. In the UK, the prevailing narrative attributes the low birth rate to the increased participation of women in education and the workforce, as well as greater access to contraception, leading to a choice for smaller families. Meanwhile, rioters are protesting against so-called foreign (non-white) immigrants who are taking skilled labor jobs, allegedly due to higher qualifications rather than race, signaling a shift in the job market away from hiring preferences based on race and nationality.
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