Democrats must unite against Extinction Rebellion’s attempts to dismantle a free society

SIR – Democracy is under threat from a unholy alliance including Extinction Rebellion, BLM, Marxists and those who want to end the nation state.

They are committed to dismantling what they call imperialism, capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and the state structures that they don’t like.

They expect to be judge and jury of which state structures must be taken down, even of what we think and say. That is the antithesis of democracy.

All democratic parties must surely combine to defeat them, while our public servants and the BBC must avoid giving them comfort.

Roger J Arthur

Pulborough, West Sussex

SIR – Like other readers of right-ofcentre newspapers, I was denied the right to receive my Daily Telegraph on Saturday by eco-protesters, with the approval of Labour’s Dawn Butler for “excellent work”.

Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police said it was “working to facilitate the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence”. I was unaware that police worked with protesters committing a crime, preventing others going about their lawful business and disrupting those printing and distributing a free press.

Michael Staples

Seaford, East Sussex

SIR – The police have recently demonstrated a light touch towards those organising Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion protests, which have caused criminal damage and the blocking of thoroughfares.

The same police immediately arrested and fined Piers Corbyn for organising an anti-lockdown protest.

Are the police using their operational independence as a smokescreen for pursuing woke activism? Do we now live in a country where our police can pick and choose which laws they will enforce, and which groups of people they will enforce them against?

Iwan Price-evans

Croydon, Surrey

SIR – Extremist minorities who take over pressure groups encourage breaking the law to provoke the authorities into aggressive measures that will be shown on television and portray the “protesters” as innocent victims of state oppression and the police as agents of this.

Their twin objectives are the overthrow of our free and democratic society (to which we assent) and to impose another (to which we do not).

Thus far, in my lifetime, no minority has succeeded because in general our authorities and the police have reacted in a measured and humane manner, and frustrated the provocateurs.

William Fleming

Frimley, Surrey

SIR – Press freedom allows Extinction Rebellion to promote its point of view, but, when its Utopia is established, such freedom will become extinct. Is there a branch of Extinction Rebellion in China?

Charles Coulson

Quarrington, Lincolnshire

SIR – The newspaper review on Radio 4’s Broadcasting House referred to the

Sunday Telegraph headline that Extinction Rebellion “only wants a press if it agrees with their agenda”.

All three panellists disagreed. Comments included: “It’s only one day”, “They’ve got us talking”, “Most people get their news online”, “Papers are owned by billionaires, so it’s not a free press”, and other inanities. The highlight was: “Everyone got their paper eventually anyway,” which wasn’t true.

I doubt the panel’s opinions are shared by many. To have all three consider Extinction Rebellion’s conduct acceptable is another example of the BBC being badly out of touch.

Richard May

Horncastle, Lincolnshire

SIR – A reverse Churchillian two fingers to Extinction Rebellion for trying to prevent me reading the paper. I read Saturday’s on my ipad.

David Lawson

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire