Sunak should have challenged MP wanting climate group banned as terrorists

Sunak’s failure to condemn MP’s suggestion of banning climate group under terrorism law “deeply disturbing” – Greenpeace

Commenting on Rishi Sunak’s answer to a question by Conservative MP Gareth Johnson at PMQ, who suggested Just Stop Oil should be made a “proscribed organisation” – a power given to the Home Secretary by the Terrorism Act 2000 – Greenpeace UK political campaigner Megan Randles said:

“It’s deeply disturbing that the prime minister completely failed to condemn the suggestion by a Conservative MP that peaceful climate protesters should be treated like terrorists and banned. Instead of challenging this absurd and frightening idea head-on, Sunak went on to defend the draconian measures in the Public Order Bill. Peaceful protest is a pillar of the freedom of expression that this government claims to care about. The prime minister is playing a dangerous game by pandering to those in his own party who’d like to see people protesting against the destruction of our planet treated like ISIS. This should be a moment for the government to pause and reflect about what their crackdown on freedom of protest means for the kind of society we’ll be living in.”