After migrant tweets row, Lineker says eco-zealots are ‘ heroes’
Gary Lineker has waded into another potential row over his political views after claiming climate fanatics causing chaos on London’s roads could be remembered as ‘heroes’.
The Match of the Day presenter made the comments yesterday after he flew out to rome to accept an award for his activism.
His ‘sport and human rights award’ from humanitarian group amnesty International came for his role as a ‘staunch advocate for the rights of refugees and migrants’ – an issue on which he sparked a huge row earlier this year when he criticised the Government’s policy on immigration.
His decision to accept the award provoked a backlash from Tory MPs, who said the former footballer needed to choose whether he wanted to be a BBC star or an activist.
Lineker, 62, was hauled off the air in March after refusing to back down over a tweet comparing the Government’s language on asylum seekers to that in 1930s Germany.
But after getting his amnesty award, the £1.35million-a-year star sparked further controversy by weighing in on the stunts of groups such Just Stop Oil.
Hours earlier, the Metropolitan Police revealed that since april 24, there had been 78 so-called slow marches on London’s roads, 60 of which led to protesters being removed. There were 45 arrests in the same period.
Lineker told Channel 4 News: ‘I think it is very worrying that we lock people up that are actually trying to make sure we have some kind of future... I understand why people get upset because it’s a disruptive demonstration, but history tells you that the only demonstrations that really work are disruptive ones, so it’s a tough one.’ The presenter then called for the world to ‘find a way out’ of the ‘overreliance on fossil fuels’.
He continued: ‘We should all be trying to turn governments on it, not just relying on a few people that, actually, do stuff knowing that they’ll probably be locked up and I kind of admire that in a way.
‘I think, if we manage to save the human race, in 50 years or 100 years’ time, they’ll look back on people like that (JSO) and Greta Thunberg and people like that, that have made a real difference and they might well be the heroes.’
Scotland yard had earlier revealed the cost of policing the persistent stunts of JSO – which have led to angry clashes with motorists – has cost more than £3million.
On Monday, Tory MPs demanded Lineker consider his position at the BBC as he prepared to fly to Italy. Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet, said: ‘It is another self-congratulatory fest of one woke group to another woke activist.’
and Gareth Johnson, MP for Dartford, said: ‘ Gary Lineker needs to decide if he wants to be a politician or a public broadcaster. He can’t do both...
‘yet again he thinks that the rules on being a public broadcaster don’t apply to him. He wants his cake and to eat it too.’
When accepting his award, Lineker addressed the political furore that led to him being taken off air.
He told the ceremony: ‘What I was trying to say was that I think we need to be careful with the language we use towards people who have to flee their countries, because of persecution, because of war and possibly climate change.’
‘Another woke activist’