British prosecutors dropped charges against six
environmentalist protesters on Jan. 10 after learning that an undercover police
provocateur offered to help them with the protest that led to their arrests.
Constable Mark Kennedy, using the alias Mark Stone, helped
to set up and encourage the protest that led to the arrest of 114 activists in
2009. They attempted to occupy the large Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station to
protest its release of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate
change.
The undercover policeman had advised the protesters on the
best way to break into the plant. The environmentalists had planned a peaceful
protest.
The defense stated that their clients could not receive a
fair trial without information on Kennedy’s role in the protest group. The
trial and prosecution stopped just 48 hours after the information was
requested.
The British government is trying to repress peaceful
activism by using secretive and provocative means, and prioritizes profits over
fighting dangerous climate change.
