Lesson
Criminalising Climate Protesters Backfires
Research shows that punishing climate activists in the UK makes them more determined to protest. Arrests and fines can radicalise rather than deter them.
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Standard — Natural English
82 words · ~1 min readLesson audio
Standard level
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Test your understanding
Test your understanding
01What effect does criminalisation have on climate activists according to the study?
02What percentage of climate activists faced repression according to the article?
03What has the UK government done in response to climate protests?
Discussion
Discussion
How do you think governments should respond to climate activism?
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
criminalisation word
the act of making something illegal
“The criminalisation of climate protests has sparked debate.”
counterproductive word
having the opposite effect of what is intended
“The study found that punishing activists is counterproductive.”
radicalise word
to cause someone to adopt extreme views
“Arrests can radicalise activists, making them more determined.”
repression word
the act of suppressing a group or movement
“Repression of protests can lead to more extreme actions.”
galvanised word
to stimulate or excite someone into taking action
“Many activists were galvanised by the government's crackdown.”