‘Labelling Extinction Rebellion as an extremist ideology has been ludicrous’

Indeed, while the guidance, which has now been recalled after public outcry, that those who hold XR views should be reported to the authorities was seen by activists as an attempt to delegitimatise their arguments.

Chris says: “I don’t think listing Extinction Rebellion (XR) as an ‘extremist ideology’ alongside Islamism and far right extremism has been very helpful at all. I have seen all those so called ‘extremists’ and ‘terrorists’ when I have attended protests. Some of them are as young as seven and some are as old as 70, some of them are black and some of them are white, some of them are rich and some of them are poor.

“XR is representative of a very concerned broad spectrum of society, who are taking non-violent direct action to generate some attention and drama to highlight the catastrophic issues which are impacting our lives. I am a very fervent supporter of XR for that reason.”

Chris says that in the period since XR demonstrations began there has been a good relationship with the police.

He explains: “I think one of the most curious aspects of having campaigned with them for the past year has been the relationship that there has been with the police.

“I have been there on the protests and been on the front lines and spoken to those officers, one or two of them are grumpy because they have lost their weekend or are having to do extra hours. The vast majority of the officers that I have spoken to have been courteous and polite to the protestors, they have been very friendly.”

He accepts that the police have found themselves in “a very difficult position”.

He adds: “If you are faced with some right wing loony who has just hurled a brick at you, then you know how to deal with that and can take demonstrative action.

“But if a 90 year old grandmother who is protesting with XR and she sits down in the middle of the road, that’s a difficult situation to manage and I respect that is the case for the police who are at these protests. And so do all the other XR protestors.

“We are really hoping that we can continue with our demonstrations in a cordial and peaceful manner.

“There has to be a co-operative environment with the police. To see XR labelled as a terrorist organisation is ludicrous.

“It has been very damaging for the relationship which exists between XR and the police. The thing is, a lot of those officers don’t want any trouble and we certainly don’t.”

Chris continues: “We just want to keep smiling and protesting, they do their job and arrest people and we will make it easy for them to arrest us.

“When people were being arrested at XR demonstrations people move out of the way so that the police can do their job. We are in no way preventing them in the execution of their duty.

“It is a very different form of protest that we have seen with XR, it has been a tough one for the police to manage, but you simply are not going to get around it by calling us terrorists.”

Chris agrees that XR is a legitimate cause, while they likes of Islamism and far right extremism have nothing to contribute to public debate.

He says: “There is no comparison between XR and the likes of Islamist or far right terrorists. XR should never been on that list.

“It has been very embarrassing for the police but also ultimately for the government. I am sure that there are many senior police who have been left very embarrassed by it.

“I have been on the streets and there is a shared respect between ourselves and the police.

“It is their world too. They share our concerns too, they want food, water and a future for their families.

“And that is why, again, it is a difficult issue for the police and we do sympathise with them, but labelling us as terrorists is not a very useful thing to do.”