A long-time British wildlife television presenter has come under fire after making the case that it is “ethical” to break the law in order to advance the climate change agenda.
In his recently released programme, Is It Time To Break The Law?, which was aired on public broadcaster Channel 4 on Wednesday, Chris Packham argued that the time for legal protests on behalf of the green movement may have come to an end and that it is now justified to break the law in order to supposedly save the planet.
Packham, 62, a veteran of the BBC, explained in the documentary according to The Telegraph: “I’ve reached a fork in the road. For years I’ve been marching, I’ve been writing banners, I’ve been posting posters, I’ve been a peaceful democratic activist, but none of it has worked.
“Well, perhaps I have to take another route. Does that other route mean that this is the time for me to break the law?”
“If you’ve already made the decision that, yes, I’m going to break the law – and no one will get hurt and no environmental damage will be done – then you’ll have my support. Personally, I think I’ve reached a point where I consider it the ethically responsible thing to do.”
Personally , I’ve now reached a point where I believe breaking the law for the climate is the ethically responsible thing to do .#ChrisPackhamC4 | @Channel4 pic.twitter.com/dxEdoZmIGn
— Chris Packham (@ChrisGPackham) September 21, 2023
In addition to his work as a wildlife presenter, Packham has also appeared at leftist climate marches, including reportedly at an Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest in April. He is also currently promoting a ‘Restore Nature Now’ demonstration in London later this month outside of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) headquarters.
For the radical statements aired on the publicly-owned broadcaster, the Springwatch presenter has drawn considerable backlash.
Conservative MP Gary Sambrook said: “Ethically, I think it’s right we should start calling out people like [Chris Packham] as deluded ideological zealots who will cause damage to livelihoods without a care for ordinary families.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 4: Chris Packham (C) joins a protest taking place in Parliament square against new oil drilling on September 4, 2023 in London, England. Around 100 scientists marched alongside TV presenter Chris Packham in a protest against new oil drilling projects in the United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in British politics at the University of Liverpool, Dr David Jeffery, questioned: And what if someone thinks the ethical thing to do is to stop Chris from reducing their living standards? Are they fully entitled to cause him harm and justify it via their own ethical framework? Such dangerous reasoning.
GB News political commentator and comedian Nick Dixon said: “We all know freaks like Extinction Rebellion are given special treatment, and we have a kind of anarcho-tyranny where certain criminal acts are celebrated. But it’s still extraordinary to see it presented so explicitly, and on a state-owned channel.”
Officers Fear Arresting Extinction Rebellion Vandals over Threat of Legal Reprisals: Police Representative https://t.co/jSe5bL7Zf8
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) February 19, 2020