Why I am campaigning against Extinction Rebellion's illegal protesting
Just weeks after I was elected, I was horrified at Extinction Rebellion causing criminal damage to the Trinity College Lawn and illegally blockading the roads. I also found it deeply troubling that the Police did little to stop it.
These protests have not only been highly disruptive and sometimes incredibly dangerous, they have also been a drain on public funds. For example, during Extinction Rebellion’s protests of April and October 2019, some of London’s busiest areas were brought to a standstill for several days. This had a disproportionate impact on commuters and small businesses, and the policing operation for the two extended protests cost £37 million - more than twice the annual budget of London’s violent crime taskforce.
I strongly support the stated objectives of Extinction Rebellion, in terms of tackling climate change, but absolutely not their methods. They compare themselves to the Sufragettes who broke the law to achieve their aims, but the Sufragettes (and half the population) did not have the vote so could not pursue democratic means. All that law breaking will do is undermine their support from the British public, which is clearly already happening. They are not only disrupting others but also undermining their own cause.
So far, I have
- Called a debate in Parliament to discuss XRs illegal activity
- Met with the Home Secretary to discuss police response to protest activity
- Written to the then-acting Police & Crime Commissioner to protest the lack of police activity to stop XR in Cambridge
- Written to and met with the current Police & Crime Commissioner to discuss previous and future responses
- Written to, met, and held a public Q&A session with the Chief Constable to discuss police response to local XR activity
- Supported measures in the Police, Crime and Sentencing Bill to address my concerns
Campaign success
I am glad to say that this Government has acted, with new measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act set to improve the police’s ability to manage such protests, enabling them to balance the rights of protesters against the rights of others to go about their daily business, and to dedicate their resources to keeping the public safe.