John Finnie
Police Scotland have confirmed that Extinction Rebellion and other climate protesters will not automatically be referred to the Prevent scheme for tracking suspected terrorist activities.
Scottish Green justice spokesperson John Finnie MSP wrote to Police Scotland after counter terrorism police in England had issued guidance on Prevent which included a reference to Extinction Rebellion.
In its reply, the police force said unlawful protests were not considered terrorism.
Responding, John Finnie said: “I welcome this clarification from Police Scotland, although the force must be transparent about what it considers to be extremist views. It’s clear that peaceful protest is absolutely necessary in the face of the overwhelming science that shows we are in a climate emergency.
“It is completely inappropriate for any peaceful protests to be considered extremist or related to terrorism, which is why CND, Greenpeace and other peaceful organisations must be allowed to voice concerns in the way they do.
“Police will continue to have a duty to prevent and respond to criminal activity, but they must not treat peaceful protest in the same bracket as terrorist threats against our citizens.”
INFO: Letter to John Finnie https://drive.google.com/file/d/10SChwDwjTnQ5rCBIMrrHF0Rqkp9vEW5N/view