From the suffragettes to the civil rights movement, protest has shaped the world we live in. Many of the rights we today take for granted were hard-won through protests, picket lines, and direct action. Many have been imprisoned, others killed, fighting for a better, safer world for us all to live in. Yet today, amidst the urgent warnings of climate scientists who warn of an impending environmental apocalypse, our governments are instead imprisoning the activists raising the alarm. Across the globe, repressive legislation is being enforced, aimed at stifling campaigners and suffocating the right to protest through the threat of draconian prison sentences and bans on protesting. To anyone paying attention, the future looks bleak.

This presentation will take a look at what led to a state crackdown on the anti-vivisection movement and how similar tactics are now being used to target activists today. We'll probe into lessons that can be learned, what we can do to make our movements stronger in the face of repression – and how and where we can find the courage to seek a better world in the face of it all.