Extinction Rebellion infiltrate National Conservatism Conference to call out the fascist ideologies supported by senior Cabinet ministers and MPs
May 15, 2023 by Extinction Rebellion
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BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion infiltrate National Conservatism Conference to call out the fascist ideologies supported by senior Cabinet ministers and MPs
Today, members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) secretly entered and disrupted the National Conservatism Conference in London and interrupted speakers, highlighting increasingly dangerous rhetoric from senior political figures. Peaceful protesters worked inside and outside the conference at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster, to appeal directly to conference attendees and the public on the warning signs of fascism.
Inside the event, the protesters interrupted Jacob Rees-Mogg’s keynote speech in the morning, by speaking over him and stating the similarities between National Conservatism and fascism. This was then repeated again in the afternoon during Suella Bravermans keynote, where her specific policies were highlighted as reflecting fascist ideology.
As well as Rees-Mogg and Suella Braverman, the event has 50 speakers throughout, including other high-profile, right-wing members of the Government such as Michael Gove and Lee Anderson.
Dorothea Hackman is a 71 year old London grandmother worried for future generations and the direction in which National Conservatism is leading the government. “It looks like fascism to me, bringing the destruction of human rights and values into the climate and ecological disaster. I am here today to call them out”, she said.
National Conservatism promotes nationalism, scapegoating, ‘traditional family values’, media control, right wing economics, profiting from the obscene dividends of corporations while waging austerity against the vulnerable and defunding education, health and welfare provision. They ignore the immediate peril of the climate emergency to millions of humans and myriad species. NatCon sees the courts and police as the means of suppressing peaceful protest and criminalising asylum seekers and trade unionists. [1]
“We’ve heard the truth from the world’s scientists, Greta and the UN, we’ve seen more temperature records broken this week, and now Dolly Parton has the same message for the fascists in that conference: Liar, liar, world on fire. What you gonna do when it all burns down?” -Sue Hampton, 66, retired teacher
Following the implementation of the controversial Public Order Act ahead of the King’s coronation, the group is calling out concerns of increasingly fascist ideals being adopted by senior members of the Conservative Party. Even the UN has criticised the new law as “incompatible with the UK’s international human rights obligations regarding people’s rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.” [2] In the build up to the conference, some news outlets have highlighted its significance and how it could influence the future of Conservative Party leadership and, in turn, UK politics. [3]
Previous attendees include political figures who share far-right outlooks such as Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban; Republican Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; with the final keynote speech previously given by Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation – a stalwart of the US radical right. [4]
One of the protestors who managed to get through security into the conference, said, “National conservatism says it wants people to bind together over national identity to let them flourish but we’ve heard our politicians and seen their policies. We know they let rich people get richer with obscene corporate dividends while our waters are filled with sewage and our NHS is underfunded. They scapegoat the voiceless when they should be tackling the climate emergency that spells immediate disaster to millions of people and animals.”
Outside of the event, a group of 20 people gathered to address the public about the event going on inside the Emmanuel Centre, informing them of how similar ideologies have led to disaster in the past. Banners reading ‘Unite Against Fascism’ are being displayed, speeches are being held, and people are holding placards which outlign the 14 signs of fascism. A formal letter was also sent in previous weeks to the Emmanuel Centre itself, from a group of young Christians, asking the venue to cancel the event.
“I sent a polite formal letter to the Emmanuel Centre from myself and a group of friends as young Christians concerned about the event taking place in a centre of worship. I have followed the letter up after not hearing anything and it’s still radio silence. We have no choice but to take action now.” – Martha Carmichael, 22, student
Notes for editors
The National Conservatism Conference runs from 15 to 17 May and describes itself as bringing, “together public figures, journalists, scholars, and students who understand that the past and future of conservatism are inextricably tied to the idea of the nation, to the principle of national independence, and to the revival of the unique national traditions that alone have the power to bind a people together and bring about their flourishing.” https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-uk-2023/