Outrage as Animal Welfare Groups Listed on Terror Chart

Environmental and animal welfare groups in Britain are listed on a counter-terrorism document, distributed by the police, that appears to link them to far-right extremists and jihadists.

Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, and Extinction Rebellion (XR) are all listed among neo-Nazi and banned terror organisations.

Also included is Stop the Badger Cull, which is headed by Queen guitarist, Sir Brian May and which ASI is a member.

The document was uncovered in January by the Guardian newspaper.

“We support Stop the Badger Cull because badger culling is cruel and pointless, to include the organisation on a terror list is ridiculous and has implications for free speech by those who care for animals,” said Andrea Matthee, lead campaigner for the Animal Survival International (formerly Political Animal Lobby), a London-based animal welfare organisation.

“To list those of us who care about animals, alongside neo-Nazis and religious extremists is an outrage.”

Some of the UK’s most prominent people support environment and animal movements.

Greenpeace supporters include Dame Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, Gillian Anderson and Joanna Lumley. Sea Shepherd supporters include Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.

They appear alongside a number of extremist right-wing groups including Combat 18 and the National Front, as well as National Action, which has been banned for terrorist violence.

The document, produced by Counter Terrorism Policing and distributed to medical staff and teachers as part of anti-extremism briefings, has been used across England as part of training for Prevent, the anti-radicalisation scheme designed to catch those at risk of committing terrorist violence.