Sustainability Corner: The rise of danger in global activism

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Activists face rising violence globally, with Latin America accounting for 85 percent of killings in 2023, sparking urgent calls for protection and justice.

In a recent PBS interview-based article, the network discussed a growing trend within Latin America and, subsequently, the rest of the world: The killing and brutalizing of activists, specifically indigenous activists. 

This article stated, “Close to 200 people died defending the environment in 2023… Latin America accounted for 85 percent of the documented killings, and for a second year in a row, Colombia was the most dangerous place for activists. But experts say the lack of data from other parts of the world is obscuring a more pervasive trend….terrorist tagging, vilification, surveillance, intimidation up to abduction killings and having trumped up charges…,” as well as sexual abuse and gendered violence in retaliation to activism.  

The piece went on to say that these encounters go heavily unaccounted for. Even so, this retaliation has not faltered: “In fact, we're really worried about growing trends of attacks, but also criminalization and other forms of reprisals. And it's really hard to access data [on arrested activists] for all sorts of reasons. It's hard to document the cases when people trying to do so may be risking their own lives…There are protection mechanisms in many countries, but sadly, the large majority of them are not working as effectively as they should be working. In fact, a substantial number of our killings that we record happened to defenders who were under some kind of protection mechanism that obviously didn't work.” 

In the US, the right to protest is protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is labeled as the right to protest peacefully. Even so, restrictions can be placed on these individual rights of expression, which can cause individuals to be arrested for protesting. Instances like protesting in “traditional public forums,” i.e., sidewalks, parks, and anywhere that isn’t privately owned property or industry, are the convenient and safest routes for demonstration. 

That said, the issues of activism and immediate danger are less immediately present in the US than in Latin America, but they do still exist. Following these guidelines does not directly indicate that someone is acting in a manner that will not result in arrest. 

These guidelines have been growing stricter due to past presidential administrations, and news sources speculate on the possibility of the second Trump administration, which can further constrain these rights of free speech— based on past comments the man has made on personal freedoms. These apprehensions and uncertainties in the global landscape have resulted in a time when activists of all demographics feel compelled to come together for a unified voice. 

Through this call to action, sources say that many activists have been campaigning for implementing climate change protocols in underprivileged and impoverished countries, costing upwards of “trillions of dollars.” This is in an attempt to bring to light the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves based on their sociopolitical climate and empower them to fight for change while ensuring their own safety at the forefront. 

The climate of activism is changing worldwide, and this may have consequences for the civil and personal liberties we enact on a daily basis in the US. It can be incredibly important to stay informed on this issue and discuss it, as regardless of the issue, it can affect the entirety of the US population for the better or worse.