Libby Hooper
Last November, thousands of protestors took to the streets of London in protest of the government’s incoming farm inheritance tax. What does this tell us about the ‘double standard’ of protests within our policing system and media?
The actions of the farmers has sparked fiery debates online. The treatment of their disruptive protests has potentially unveiled a glaring hypocrisy — particularly in contrast to climate activists.
What Are Farmers Fighting For?
Farmer protested the government’s incoming policy of taxing inherited farms, which are worth over £1 million, at a 20 per cent rate. As farms had been exempt from this tax prior, this change has led to outrage from British farmers. Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers’ Union called the policy a “stab in the back”.
Jeremy Clarkson, whose farm is worth £13.5 million, has been one of the most vocal protestors. Clarkson’s farm currently makes money from selling his ‘Diddly Squat’ farm produce, claiming environmental payments, and a three season TV show. Yet, Clarkson complained about the £2.5 million inheritance tax, after calling his farm purchase an intentional “tax dodge” a decade ago.
Disruptive action from farmers took place in both London and Dover. The latter was a ‘go-slow’ tractor protest, clogging up the roads of the coastal towns to raise awareness of the policy. Roads were also blocked outside Whitehall during the London action, with footage of a tractor even ploughing through a police barricade. Despite this, police called the protests “near exemplary”.
Two months later, farmers are still protesting.
Crackdown On Climate Protestors
Comparisons can be drawn to similar tactics in use by climate groups such as Just Stop Oil (JSO), Insulate Britain, and Extinction Rebellion.
Famously, JSO has taken to road blockades on multiple occasions, with members being arrested and imprisoned for their involvement. Most recently, five JSO activists received sentences this summer for their role in planning ‘disruptive protests’.
“Almost 300 campaigners were arrested in 2019 after disrupting central London traffic”
In February 2023, Insulate Britain activists were found guilty of ‘public nuisance’ after a 2021 sit-down blockade of London traffic for two hours. In fact, as of 2021, it was estimate that over 800 activists has been arrested since the group has started taking direct action.
For Extinction Rebellion (XR), almost 300 campaigners were arrested in 2019 after disrupting central London traffic.
Policing, Press, and Public Opinion
This strict policing is a stark contrast to the farmer protests, with no reported arrests from either London or Dover. But these protests caused the same ‘public nuisance’ as the environmental groups. Ironically, Clarkson stated: “if you are from Just Stop Oil […] you can do what you want”. This could not be further from reality.
Just Stop Oil themselves issued a press release responding to this statement. They noted how the unequal treatment between climate and farm protestors can be seen easily. Farmers have not been ‘arrested after two minutes on the road’, had their ‘homes raided’, ‘phones and laptops seized multiple times’ or ‘sentenced to multiple years in prison’.
While this ‘two-tier policing’ is indeed a reality, it is not in favour of the environmentalists. Farmers are being let off lightly, while climate activists face strict policing and harsh consequences.
Press Portrayals And Public Perceptions
From ‘eco-zealots’ to ‘eco-yobs’, climate activists are consistently subject to media slander whenever their actions make headlines. Just Stop Oil protestors who threw soup at Van Gogh’s Sunflowers have been vindicated by privately-owned Warhols and Harings being lost in the recent Los Angeles fires. Their faux destruction of the painting was to highlight out how art would be destroyed by climate change. Now, this is our reality.
Despite the painting remaining unharmed, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland (who partook in the Sunflowers protest) are still in prison now. On the flip side, the farmers — even those who ploughed through police barricades — have even been positively referred to as the ‘unsung heroes of Britain’.
“Climate activists are left with nothing but a tainted reputation”
Considering the ‘right-wing’ biases of the British press, it is unsurprising that this double standard exists in the reporting of protest methods which are, at their core, identical. This media bias, in turn, shapes public opinion, with farmers largely receiving support. They are seen as brave people standing up for themselves in the face of unfair government. Only inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m will be subject to inheritance tax.
Meanwhile, climate activists receive the label of ‘eco-fanatics’ with their actions deemed illegitimate and illegal. Plummer and Holland say they have been subject to endless queerphobic abuse online following their protests. This is blatant hatred, not a political disagreement.
What Does This ‘Double Standard’ Mean?
While the farmers are valorised, climate activists are left with nothing but a tainted reputation and severe policing aimed at suppressing their voices.
Unequal rates of ‘criminalisation’ amongst climate activists seek to deter protest and intimidate these groups. The media depicting activists and their cause as illegitimate sets a precedent for harsh action against them. Groups, such as XR, are categorised as ‘extremists’ by terrorism police. They are listed alongside the alt-right, National Action (a neo-Nazi group), and Generation Identity (a white supremacy organisation).
Additionally, the optics of crackdowns on climate protests aligns them with the ‘aggressive’ and ‘criminal’ media narratives. These negative portrayals are reserved for those seen to have ‘irrational’ demands, with this ‘irrationality’ often overlapping with left-wing causes.
Climate activists are portrayed as ‘radical’ in their demands, while the farmers are ‘rational’ and ‘reasonable’. In turning public opinion against these groups and their causes, corporations are able to uncritically continue with their unsustainable practices.
What Does This Mean For Climate Justice?
With climate activism groups receiving slander in mainstream media, their actions and demands are taken less seriously. Even Greta Thunberg, previously the face of climate justice, is now de-credited for supporting Palestine and the Sahrawi people. This purposely deters people from supporting climate protesters, as the media effectively denies any positive coverage of their cause.
In order for the climate crisis to be taken seriously, it is crucial to end the unfair criminalisation of those seeking to put it on the agenda. The unequal treatment between protestors in the UK harms more than those directly involved in climate justice. All lives are on the line.
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Featured image courtesy of Markus Spiske via Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.
Libby Louise Hooper
Animal lover, football enthusiast, and Sociology student at the University of Cambridge.