Fight for your (climate) rights!

Ethical, legal, and human rights perspectives on democracy and protest

Abstract

The climate protests of Last Generation have not only garnered widespread attention but also sparked significant criticism. A key argument against their actions is that they undermine democratic processes and therefore pose a threat to democracy. Such critiques frame the group’s environmental concerns as being in opposition to their critics’ concerns for democracy. In this paper, we explore how this perceived tension between climate protection and democracy can be addressed. Drawing on ethical, legal, and human rights perspectives, we argue that this conflict cannot be resolved by simply prioritizing one side over the other. Instead, each of these perspectives affirms that both climate protection and democracy are fundamental values, state objectives, and legal principles. Consequently, we argue that the best way to address this tension is to fundamentally reframe the debate itself. Instead of asking whether “democracy or climate protection” should take priority, we should emphasize their interdependence and synergies—shifting toward a “democracy and climate protection” framework. To support this argument, we draw on Robin Celikates’ concept of radical democratic civil disobedience, which allows us to perceive Last Generation’s protest actions as a struggle for both climate justice and democracy.