In the UK, successive governments since 2010 have positioned unconventional fossil fuels at the centre of their energy policy in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence that the planet cannot sustain the current level of fossil fuel consumption and that anthropogenic ecological degradation is driving us towards an extinction-level event. They have continued to push forwards with it despite fierce public opposition and mounting evidence of violations of human rights due to its negative ecological consequences and the way the police handle the continuous demonstrations against it.
Through a qualitative study of the policing tactics used at anti-fracking protests; I explore how UK politics and policy-making have moved away from the foundational ideas of democracy (a representative government to protect and promote the wellbeing of the many) to an institutional system that exists to ensure the wealth and power of the few - a hegemonic elite, in Gramscian terms. I argue that the logic of neoliberal capitalism has given rise to structures of power and policy choices are resulting in human rights violations and making it almost impossible to adopt environmental policy options that will prevent ecological destruction.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Aims and Objectives
1.2 The right to a healthy environment as a human right
1.3 Human rights in the UK
1.4 Unconventional fossil fuels in the UK
2. Analytical Framework
2.1. Theoretical Frameworks
2.2 Structures of power in a globalised world
2.3 Relevance of this study
3. Methodology
3.1. Design of Primary Research
3.2 Secondary research
4. Findings
4.1 Power structures in the UK
4.2 UK Police and anti-fracking protests, a form of political policing.
4.3 Building the narrative: intelligence gathering
4.4 Building the narrative: ingroups and outgrips
4.5 Tactics on the ground
4.6 The rights balancing act?
4.7 What does ‘peaceful protest’ mean?
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This study aims to explore the structures of power within the United Kingdom by investigating the government's aggressive pursuit of unconventional fossil fuel energy policies despite significant public opposition and scientific warnings. The research investigates whether these policy choices reflect institutionalised power structures linked to neoliberal capitalism, resulting in human rights violations during the policing of anti-fracking protests.
- The intersection of neoliberal capitalism, state power, and environmental policy in the UK.
- The identification of a hegemonic elite influencing political and economic decision-making.
- Qualitative analysis of policing tactics used against anti-fracking protesters as a form of "political policing."
- The impact of state narratives and intelligence gathering on the suppression of civil liberties and peaceful protest.
- The role of the "right to a healthy environment" within existing UK and international human rights frameworks.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 UK Police and anti-fracking protests, a form of political policing.
The G20 protests sparked several inquiries about policing tactics during protests that gave rise to a strategy based on communication between the protesters and the police so as to de-escalate potential tensions. This new strategy put forth a human rights-inspired approach to policing based on the facilitation of peaceful protest (Joyce, 2016: 331). So far, studies have found that this strategy has had a certain degree of success in reducing the aggressive policing of protests (Joyce, 2016: 79-80).
However, success seems to depend to a significant degree on the type of protest, the profile of the protester and the perception of them that the police have.
[A]n element of bias underpins the stance of the police towards demonstrations, whereby groups that were willing to cooperate and abide by ‘the rules of the game’ were likely to be treated more sympathetically than groups (termed ‘transgressive’) that adopted a more confrontational style of protest and which had a poor previous record of association with disorder (Joyce, 2016: 82).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research problem regarding the UK's commitment to unconventional fossil fuels and the associated human rights implications, establishing the study's core objectives.
2. Analytical Framework: Provides the theoretical lens, utilizing Gramscian concepts of hegemony, green criminology, and analyses of power structures within globalised neoliberal capitalism.
3. Methodology: Details the qualitative research approach, including semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and discourse analysis of institutional documents.
4. Findings: Examines the connection between corporate lobbying and government policy, and analyzes how police tactics effectively criminalize anti-fracking dissent through political policing.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings to argue that policing strategies reflect an institutionalized defense of a capitalist social order, which currently risks narrowing the definition of peaceful protest and violating human rights.
Key Terms
Fracking, neoliberal capitalism, hegemonic elite, human rights, political policing, environmental protection, protest, civil liberties, structural violence, unconventional fossil fuels, state power, surveillance, activism, subversion, governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The study focuses on the intersection of energy policy, human rights, and the policing of anti-fracking protests in the UK to understand how structures of power function under neoliberal capitalism.
What are the primary themes addressed?
Key themes include the institutionalization of corporate influence in government, the role of political policing in managing dissent, and the systemic prioritization of economic growth over environmental and human rights protections.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to determine if the government’s push for unconventional fossil fuels reflects a governance system serving a hegemonic elite, and how this relates to the policing of protesters.
Which methodology is employed?
The research uses a qualitative approach, combining semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and a rigorous discourse analysis of official documents, media reports, and policing manuals.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main chapters analyze the relationships between government officials and the energy industry, the use of intelligence gathering for political policing, and the "threshold of tolerance" for protest tactics.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Essential keywords are: Fracking, neoliberal capitalism, hegemonic elite, human rights, political policing, civil liberties, and systemic power.
How does the author define "political policing"?
Political policing is defined as the policing of ideas rather than just behaviors, where the state uses tactics to render dissent or "subversive" ideas politically ineffective.
What role do "ingroups" and "outgroups" play in the findings?
The author argues that police and state narratives construct protesters as "outsiders" or "extremists," creating a confrontational dynamic that justifies aggressive state tactics against them.
- Citar trabajo
- Stef Monaco (Autor), 2017, Human rights, fossil fuels and contemporary structures of power. A study of fracking in the UK, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/383614
