Drilled

Dana R. Fisher, author and protest research expert, discusses the tactics and future of climate protest. Topics include the departure from traditional social science, radicalization of protests, importance of media attention, and the role of the radical flank in the climate movement.

The U.S. government's definition of what constitutes an "ecoterrorist" has long driven backlash against environmental activists and in recent years that definition has only broadened. Investigative reporter and Drilled senior editor Alleen Brown dug into this recently and found that the Department of Homeland Security had been warning officials in Atlanta about the threat posed by "Defend the Atlanta Forest" for months before police raided the forest, ultimately killing one protestor, and charging dozens more with domestic terrorism and racketeering. It was such an overreaction that even mainstream media covered it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June 2022, Michel Forst became the first UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders. In that role he has spent the past year visiting various countries and speaking out about the increasingly onerous laws and aggressive tactics being used against climate protestors. Today he released a statement on the UK, saying he is "extremely worried" about "the increasingly severe crackdowns on environmental defenders in the United Kingdom, including in relation to the exercise of the right to peaceful protest."In this episode, our France reporter Anna Pujol-Mazzini talks to Forst about his new position, what it means, and what power he has to do something about the creeping crackdown on climate protest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About a decade after UK courts made history with the first "climate necessity" ruling in history, the UK government has passed new laws that not only restrict what protesters can do, but also how protesters are allowed to defend themselves in court. Some judges don't apply the new laws so strictly, but others have held people in contempt for just trying to explain themselves.In some courtrooms, the climate necessity defense has been effectively outlawed. How did that happen? And how did it happen so quickly? That's our story today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation gained attention, but at the Bayou Bridge, pipeline security suppressed free speech. The episode explores wrongful arrests, limited rights to protest, and criminalization of activists. It also discusses encounters with law enforcement, harrowing incidents, legal challenges, grassroots resistance, and the power of the next generation.

The podcast discusses the protests and legal battles against the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Indian reservation. It addresses the environmental impact, anti-protest tactics, and the ongoing resistance. The chapter also highlights the personal impact of private security and government decisions, emphasizing the power of voices and the importance of climate news.

In this podcast, reporter Martha Troian explores the ongoing battle between the Wet'suwet'en people and the fossil fuel industry in Canada. The podcast discusses the confrontation and arrests at the protest camp, the refusal to acknowledge indigenous decisions on building the pipeline, the use of court-ordered injunctions to suppress indigenous rights, the concerning issue of the strength of indigenous groups' legal position in Canada, and the determination of the land defenders to reclaim their territory.

Abeer Butmeh, coordinator of the Palestinian NGOs Network, discusses battling for survival when your identity is criminalized. Topics include Israeli settlements, movement restrictions, blockades in Gaza, power dynamics, environmental impact of the occupation, and challenges faced by Palestinian environmental defenders.

Magatte Wade, who runs the Center for African Prosperity at the Atlas Network, discusses the relationship between poverty, climate crisis, and free speech. They explore indigenous land control, energy poverty, and the need for collaboration in Africa's development. The podcast also delves into the conflict between activists and the Atlas network regarding free speech and property rights.

Globally, climate activism has shifted over the past few years. It’s more constant now and includes more direct action than ever before. Some of that action has critics, including climate scientists and climate advocates, clutching their pearls and worrying that protest will turn the public away from the urgent need to act on the climate crisis. But social science researchers who study structural change and protest say there’s no historical evidence to back that up; that in fact the only time social movements have ever affected change is when they’ve been wildly disruptive, and a whole lot of the people who love to quote MLK are missing a significant part of his approach to social change. In this week's ep we hear from social scientists on how radical or not climate protests really are, and what factors make direct action work or fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices