Guest essay by Eric Worrall

h/t JoNova; Extinction Rebellion have blockaded major news printers in England. Their demand to lift the blockade is newspapers obey Extinction Rebellion’s instructions on printing more climate propaganda.

Extinction Rebellion: Printworks protest ‘completely unacceptable’ says Boris Johnson

Environmental protesters targeted two News Corporation printing presses and delayed the delivery of Saturday newspapers

By Telegraph Reporters
5 September 2020 • 1:57pm

The Prime Minister has branded Extinction Rebellion’s blockading of major printing presses to stop papers reaching shops on Saturday “completely unacceptable”.

Boris Johnson said a free press is “vital” and criticised the activists for trying to “limit the public’s access to news”.

More than 100 protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool. By Saturday morning, police said some 63 people had been arrested.

The presses print the Rupert Murdoch-owned News UK’s titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard.

…

Meanwhile, Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, criticised the XR demonstration an “attack on democracy”.

“This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion,” she said.

“This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable.”

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Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/05/extinction-rebellion-blockade-rupert-murdochs-printing-presses/

The following is a picture of one of the Extinction Rebellion blockades. The flimsy bamboo structure has people hanging off it at a significant height; driving through it would likely cause severe injury or death.

Extinction Rebellion have already secured a role in British Government, Boris Johnson conceded their demand to create an official climate assembly composed of activist volunteers, to advise the government on how to achieve net zero CO2 emissions.

Can you imagine what things would be like if Extinction Rebellion secured even more influence or control over people’s lives?

The only plus side of this awful attack on freedom is the British take newspaper press freedom very seriously; it is difficult to think of an action Extinction Rebellion could have taken, which would be more damaging to their climate activist cause and reputation.

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