11/09/2020
The ecological campaign group Extinction Rebellion saw some seventy arrests on Saturday night, according to Sky News, as they took direct action to disrupt the printing and distribution of several of the United Kingdom's right wing newspapers, including the Sun on Sunday. Whilst Home Secretary Priti Patel, attacked the protestors for, in her words, “disrputing a free press and undermining democracy”, Extinction Rebellion, which has an active LGBTQ group recently profiled in Attitude Magazine, hit back, pointing out that just five billionaires control the majority of the British press. Some LGBTQ activists took to that more free platform of the internet to say that members of minority communities will not be sad to see disruption of newspapers which interfere with Parliament and seek to shape public opinion to a homophobic and transphobic agenda. In addition, as Pink News commentators pointed out, the authorities have now clamped down on LGBTQ demonstrations as well as the environmental movement. A Trans Rights Protest was prevented from taking place in London on Saturday 5th September. Bloggers including gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and anti-racist trans activist Munroe Bergdorf were amongst those who slammed the Metropolitan Police, tweeting “it is UNLAWFUL to threaten trans participants. Political protests are not banned. Defend Civil Liberties”.
