In a move that clearly clamps down on dissent, the British government has published a list of extremist groups which puts left-wing groups and green campaigners together with neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
The leaked Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) document includes the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), Stop the War, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Greenpeace.
CPB general secretary Rob Griffiths said he is not surprised to find the party included on the extremism watch list. “The primary function of Britain’s intelligence services is to protect the capitalist status quo and the ruling class, so it is no surprise that CPB should be listed as it is an organization which wants to replace capitalism with socialism.” Griffiths also noted that, for decades, undercover police have infiltrated “perfectly legal and legitimate campaigning organizations.”
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has a long history – over 60 years – of public organizing and peaceful protest. CND head Kate Hudson commented, “We have no secrets and act in the public interest. It is nuclear bombs that terrorize people, not our campaign, which works to eradicate weapons of mass destruction. This is massive state overreach and threatens our right to political engagement and peaceful protest.”
Andrew Smith of CAAT called the document “appalling” and said it tells people that when they “care about social justice or oppose war, arms sales, discrimination or conflict then you can be included alongside white nationalists and neo-Nazi hate groups.”
The latest leak comes on the heels of a statement signed by over 100 academics, campaigners, and community organizers, calling for the abolition of the Home Office’s Prevent anti-extremism strategy, which primarily targets Muslims.
Human rights researcher Dr Asim Qureshi said, “Ongoing calls for ‘more security and surveillance’ only lead to circular discussions, and policies that exacerbate fracture and distrust. We must break this impasse.”
With files from Morning Star (UK)
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