From the US to Hong Kong, the right to protest peacefully is under attack | Arwa Mahdawi
Pre-emptive police action against protesters is escalating across the world, as illustrated by the arrest last weekend of 10 Extinction Rebellion activists
You know things are bleak in Britain when Russia starts lecturing us on human rights. “Disruptive protests are unacceptable, but police must act proportionately,” the Russian embassy tweeted on Sunday, after the Metropolitan police raided an Extinction Rebellion warehouse and arrested 10 activists. “‘Preventive arrests’ raise concern and need to be scrutinised against human rights standards.”
The Met says the people it apprehended were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, but if all they were doing was planning to take part in a peaceful climate protest, then what happened at the weekend isn’t just concerning – it is alarming.