COP, Look, Listen: Issue 4 – Special Edition

Welcome back to COP, LOOK, LISTEN: the first of our special editions. Today’s deep dive looks at the escalating threat faced by climate activists worldwide. In recent years, climate protest groups in the Global North – such as Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future and Last Generation – have raised the profile of climate action and advocacy. They have also sparked controversy about their methods and messaging.

Whether disruptive protests are effective or alienating is a reasonable debate to have. However, violence against activists cannot and should not be accepted. Activists are increasingly being labelled as “extremists”, “lunatics” or even “terrorists”, while allusions to violence on social media appear to be increasing, particularly in comment sections.

WARNING: Some examples presented in the full report may be distressing to readers. They include reference to violence both real and imagined.

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