Thread by @GeorgeMonbiot

Solidarity with @ChrisGPackham, unbowed despite yet another disgraceful attack.
Intimidation is rife in the countryside, especially against those who oppose hunting and environmental destruction. It's far from the domain of innocence we like to imagine. theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/o…

All too often, the police turn a blind eye not only to illegal hunting but also to attacks on those who oppose it. Around the country, they need to step up.

Something we urgently need to get past is the idea of "real" country people vs "interlopers" (ie those who weren't born locally). It's often associated with xenophobia and a closed and extreme mindset. Everywhere, new people bring new ideas, and should be welcomed.

I've even seen some rural people in the UK falsely describe themselves as "indigenous". The only other people in this country who do so are white supremacists. In my view, it's a really dangerous step. When societies turn their backs on pluralism and diversity, bad things happen.

I believe this mindset is encouraged by endless TV programmes searching for "authenticity" in the countryside, and celebrating "true" countryfolk. Except when assessing art and antiques, authenticity is a slippery and scarcely comprehensible notion.

The UK's countryside has a long history of migration, population turnover, enclosure, disruption and cultural change. Laurie Lee's eulogies to "the blood and beliefs of generations who had been in this valley since the Stone Age” were total BS.

We need to reimagine the countryside as a diverse, democratic sphere, where everyone has equal standing.
That requires a major shift among local authorities, local newspapers and other influential bodies, which all too often are dominated by narrow and sectarian interests.

There's a long way to go.

Here's another response to this thread:

I think most people would be amazed to learn how much population turnover there has been in the countryside across several centuries. "Blood and belonging" turns out to be a total myth. cambridge.org/gb/academic/su…