Here’s the global playbook being used to crack down on climate protest – Canada’s National Observer

January 6, 2026

This story was originally published by Grist and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration

A new study published this month in the journal Environmental Politics reveals that efforts to repress climate and environmental protest are growing worldwide through a combination of new legislation, novel uses of existing legal processes, police actions, vilification of activists and both violence and killings. The authors contend that acts of repression are likely to expand and intensify as authoritarian regimes roll back climate policies, with a particular focus on President Donald Trump’s actions in office criminalizing protest, increasing police power, and publicly attacking climate and environmental commitments.

Read More: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/06/news/climate-protest-crackdown-playbook