How violence is justified in ‘democratic countries’

Abstract

In the UK, the level of harm done to peaceful protestors is increasingly at odds with the notion of democracy and so-called British values that sustain our international reputation. While those seeking to protect nature are the final line of defence for UK biodiversity, and therefore their role is an important resource for us all, those who dedicate their efforts in this way are at risk of experiencing physical, sexual, and psychological violence. This chapter sets out Not1More’s (N1M) findings gathered during 2020, analysing the impacts of police and state violence on environmental defenders in the UK. Examining the violence, surveillance, and intimidation they experience helps us learn how those here who are fighting against the environmentally destructive will of the government have a different experience of what living in a democracy means.