News & events

02-09-2019

NHS reports protester to Prevent for joining Extinction Rebellion


A retired doctor who took part in non-violent environmental protests was visited by police at his home after his local NHS trust reported him to the government’s counter-terrorism programme. The Guardian, 1st September 2019

Lyn Jenkins, 69, joined the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign after he became convinced that urgent action was needed to avert climate breakdown. His local NHS trust referred him to Prevent, the government’s flagship programme designed to stop people from becoming terrorists.

Jenkins had sought help from the trust as he wanted to overcome his claustrophobia and believed he might experience panic attacks in a police cell if he was arrested. He had explicitly told the trust that he wanted to be arrested during Extinction Rebellion protests.

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