‘Indefensible’: Priti Patel condemned for backing police over decision to put Extinction Rebellion on terror list

Home secretary’s comments are ‘a disgrace’, Labour leadership contender says

Ms Patel has accepted that Extinction Rebellion is not a terror threat but stopped short of criticising police over the decision (Getty)

Priti Patel has been condemned for defending anti-terror police following a backlash against a decision to include the environmental group Extinction Rebellion (XR) on a list of extremist ideologies.

The home secretary accepted in an interview with LBC that XR was a protest group, not a terror threat, but stopped short of outright criticising the decision and said the government was “constantly looking at individuals and groups”.

“They [XR] are obviously a protest organisation. But everything has to be based in terms of risk to the public, security risks, security threats,” Ms Patel said.

“That is based on information from the police, and various intelligence that we will receive. That’s the proper thing to do.”

She also appeared to reject criticism from Sir Peter Fahy, the former head of the Prevent counter-extremism strategy, after he said the decision risked damaging public trust in the programme.

“Sir Peter Fahy has made one comment. Quite frankly, I look at a range of security risks,” Ms Patel told LBC.

Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, the head of counter-terrorism police in southeast England, has described the document listing XR as an extremist organisation as “an error of judgement” and said police are working to recall it.

In response to Ms Patel’s comments, an XR spokesperson said the real security risk to the UK was government inaction on climate change.

“The home secretary is right – Extinction Rebellion is not extremist. But if we’re going to talk about risks, let’s talk about Mark Carney [the governor of the Bank of England] saying that climate change is a threat to global financial security or that the US military has predicted its own collapse within 20 years as a result,” the spokesperson said.

“The real risk is government inaction on the most pressing issue of our time and the fossil fuel companies who are destroying the planet.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey, one of the top contenders for Labour’s leadership, joined in the criticism of Ms Patel’s comments.

“The home secretary’s defence of listing XR alongside neo-Nazi terrorists is a disgrace,” Ms Long-Bailey said.

“The real threat to the public is the climate emergency, not children fighting for their future.”

Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, described the decision as “indefensible”.

XR was included in a guide titled “Safeguarding young people and adults from ideological extremism”, alongside national security threats such as neo-Nazis and Islamist terrorist groups.

The environmental group has held a number of protests in London, during which they have blocked streets and used non-violent civil disobedience to draw attention to climate change.

The government’s Prevent programme urges local communities to report anyone who is at risk of joining an extremist group and carrying out terrorist activities.

In response to media reports on her comments, the Home Office said Ms Patel had “made clear” that XR was a protest group and that its inclusion in the extremism list by police was an error.