President Trump is contemptuous of international law as is President Putin. They’re using their power immorally and illegally. People may argue that there’s no comparison between what’s happening on the world stage and events locally. Read on.

I wrote about the PARC against DARC campaign last March regarding the plan to build a 27 giant dish radar network on St David’s Peninsula. This would enable the US to have total control over space. DARC stands for Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability. After Trump’s behaviour over Greenland, Pembrokeshire people feel even more threatened and demand a voice in scuppering this development.

Fortunately, we don’t live in Iran, Russia, China or the US; we can speak our minds and protest, can’t we? Don’t celebrate just yet. On 14 January this year the House of Commons voted 301 in favour to 110 against on an Amendment to the Public Order Act 2023 which means that now animal testing facilities in the UK are classified as “key national infrastructure” like motorways, airports and power stations. The language of the legislation is vague says Human Rights Watch. What is meant by, “interfere with the use or operation?” This organisation also worries that the Amendment will, “further limit where and how people can express dissent on matters of public interest.”

You’re supposed to think that the protesters are all crazy animal rights activists. Think again. Human Rights Watch state that the Amendment includes, “pharmaceutical and healthcare facilities, including those used for animal testing, meaning the amendment could affect protests about animal testing, access to medicines, corporate accountability, or the harmful effects of specific drugs.”

Another organisation, called Protect The Wild, has added its voice. “Campaigners have warned for years that expanding public order powers in this way would criminalise lawful, peaceful protest.”

On Thursday 29 January Hannah Schafer will appear in court in Aberystwyth. She was found guilty last March of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance at Heathrow Airport. She was one of a number of Just Stop Oil campaigners. In her defence at the time she said, “By taking action, I was trying to raise the alarm and persuade our government to take the action needed to slow climate breakdown and avert the worst of the consequences to life on earth." She was given a 12 month suspended sentence.

This time she’s in court for breaking her probation conditions by joining the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian flotilla attempting to bring much needed aid to Gaza. Hannah states, “I can’t believe I’m being punished for trying to deliver food and medical aid to people who are living through famine and genocide.”

I’m writing this before the court case and you’ll be reading this after the verdict. I’ll be at court together with other supporters. It seems absurd that in a world where leaders break laws, we, the citizens, are becoming more and more constrained in how we peacefully express our concerns over climate change and other important matters.

We should all be watchful that this country doesn’t turn into a nation where remote powerful politicians try to silence the people, even if you don’t agree with the cause of the protesters. We live in a democracy but we cannot be expected to only put a cross on a piece of paper once every few years. That’s why politicians need to listen in between elections. Those citizens who believe that a law passed is immoral, feel it’s only right to bring it to an early demise. That’s what happened with the polltax, women’s suffrage and the Corn Laws. We need to protest about the right to protest.