• Green Glow
  • Posts
  • 🌱 When Saving the Planet Becomes a Crime: The Repression of Climate Protests ✊⚖️

🌱 When Saving the Planet Becomes a Crime: The Repression of Climate Protests ✊⚖️

Climate activists worldwide are facing arrests, harsh laws, police violence, and even murder. Learn how governments and corporations are cracking down on environmental protests—and why the fight for climate justice continues.

Author

Green Glow
February 09, 2025

Around the world, people are taking to the streets to demand climate action, but instead of being heard, they are being silenced. From new anti-protest laws to police violence and even assassinations, the repression of climate and environmental activism is on the rise. Governments and corporations are using legal and violent tactics to stifle dissent, criminalizing those who fight to protect the planet.

This article explores the intensifying repression of climate protests, why it is happening, and what it means for the future of climate activism.

Table of Contents

A Growing Movement, A Growing Crackdown

Climate protests surged between 2018 and 2019, sparked by movements like Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and Just Stop Oil. These protests have not only continued but expanded, drawing attention to urgent environmental issues.

However, with this rise in activism has come a sharp increase in repression. Governments worldwide are introducing new laws, increasing police crackdowns, and in some cases, using extreme violence to suppress environmental defenders.

Who Is Being Targeted?

The repression of activism is not limited to one region. It spans both democratic and authoritarian governments, and it affects activists differently depending on their location and the nature of their protests:

  • In the Global North, activists face mass arrests, surveillance, and legal actions that equate peaceful protest with terrorism.

  • In the Global South, where many protests are against deforestation, mining, and fossil fuel extraction, activists face not only legal threats but also extreme violence, disappearances, and assassinations.

Four Ways Governments and Corporations Are Silencing Activists

1. Criminalizing Protest Through New Laws

Governments are introducing harsh anti-protest laws that:
✔️ Expand police powers to stop and disperse protests.
✔️ Increase penalties for acts of civil disobedience, such as blocking roads.
✔️ Grant immunity to police officers who use force against activists.

For example, in Germany, members of the climate group Letzte Generation were charged with “forming a criminal organization,” a law typically used against the mafia. In the UK and Australia, laws have been passed to impose severe penalties on climate protesters blocking roads or disrupting business activities.

2. Using Courts to Silence Activists

Even when no new laws are passed, governments find ways to prosecute activists using existing legal frameworks.

  • In the Philippines, anti-terrorism laws have been used to detain environmental activists, making it impossible for them to return to their home islands.

  • In the United States and Canada, fossil fuel companies have used strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) to intimidate protesters, drowning them in legal fees and lengthy court battles.

3. Escalating Police Violence and Surveillance

Activists face growing police brutality, from excessive force during protests to surveillance and infiltration of activist groups.

  • In France, climate protests have been met with tear gas, beatings, and mass arrests.

  • In Peru and Uganda, police violence against environmental protesters is among the highest in the world.

This repression is not limited to state forces. Private security companies, hired by corporations, also play a role in harassing and intimidating activists.

4. The Most Extreme Form of Repression: Murders and Disappearances

In some countries, climate activism is not just criminalized—it is deadly.

  • According to Global Witness, environmental activists are being murdered at alarming rates, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, and Peru.

  • Many of these killings are linked to corporate and government interests, with little to no accountability for those responsible.

The death of activists sends a chilling message: standing up for the planet can cost you your life.

Why Is This Repression Happening?

1. Governments Protecting Corporate Interests

Many governments have deep ties to the fossil fuel industry and other environmentally destructive corporations. When activists challenge these industries, they threaten not only corporate profits but also government revenue and political donations.

2. Fear of Growing Movements

Climate protests have successfully influenced public opinion and policy. From the Paris Agreement to national climate laws, activists have forced governments to act. However, rather than engaging with their demands, many governments have chosen repression as a way to weaken these movements.

3. Shifting the Narrative

By criminalizing activists, governments and corporations attempt to shift the conversation away from climate change itself. Instead of addressing the environmental crisis, they paint protesters as criminals, extremists, or threats to public order.

The Future of Climate Activism: Can Repression Stop the Movement?

History has shown that repression often backfires. The more governments try to silence activists, the more determined movements become. Climate activism is evolving, with new strategies emerging:
✅ Legal battles – Activists are challenging anti-protest laws in courts.
✅ Digital activism – Online campaigns are raising awareness and organizing protests worldwide.
✅ Community resistance – Local groups are mobilizing to defend their land and resources despite the risks.

The climate crisis is worsening, and activists are not backing down. If anything, repression may only fuel further resistance.

How You Can Support Climate Activists

🔹 Stay informed – Follow independent media outlets that report on climate activism and repression.
🔹 Amplify their voices – Share stories of activists facing repression on social media.
🔹 Support legal defense funds – Many activists need financial support for legal battles.
🔹 Join or support environmental groups – Whether through direct action or donations, collective support makes a difference.

Conclusion 

The criminalization of climate protests is a dangerous trend that threatens democracy, human rights, and the fight against climate change itself. When governments and corporations attack those who speak out, they expose their unwillingness to act on the crisis we all face.

But history has also shown that resistance cannot be silenced forever. Activists have won before, and they will win again. The fight for climate justice continues—will you stand with those on the frontlines?

FAQs

Why are climate activists being arrested and criminalized?

Governments and corporations often view climate activism as a threat to economic and political interests, particularly those tied to fossil fuels and industrial projects. Many governments have passed anti-protest laws, used terrorism-related charges, or engaged in police violence to suppress activism.

Which countries have the highest repression of climate protests?

Repression varies by region. In democratic countries like Germany, the UK, Canada, and Australia, activists face mass arrests and harsh legal penalties. In countries like Brazil, the Philippines, and Peru, activists are at risk of violence, disappearances, and even assassination.

What are some examples of anti-protest laws targeting climate activists?

  • Germany: Activists from Letzte Generation were charged under organized crime laws.

  • UK & Australia: Laws have been introduced to criminalize roadblocks and impose heavy penalties on climate protesters.

  • Philippines: Anti-terrorism laws have been used to silence environmental defenders.

How do corporations contribute to the repression of climate protests?

Many corporations, especially in the fossil fuel and mining sectors, use strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) to intimidate activists. They also hire private security forces and lobby for harsher protest laws.

You May Also Like

Sponsored Links