In a dramatic turn of events, renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg was forcefully removed by police from a protest in Malmo, Sweden. This action comes just hours after she was fined by a local court for disobeying a police order during a previous protest last month.
Thunberg, who gained international prominence for her relentless weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament, acknowledged in Monday’s court proceedings that she had indeed defied a police order. However, she pleaded not guilty, asserting that her actions were motivated by necessity.
When questioned by reporters about her future plans in light of the fine, Thunberg remained steadfast, stating that climate activists would not stop. She emphasized that playing by the current rules was inadequate, as the laws themselves needed to be changed to address the urgent climate crisis.
Greta Thunberg Fined for Disobeying Police
Thunberg’s recent confrontation with the authorities occurred when she and fellow activists from the group Reclaim the Future blocked the path of oil trucks in Malmo harbour on 19 June. Despite police orders to disperse, Thunberg and others remained on the scene, resulting charges against her.
After the sentencing, Thunberg and her fellow activists returned to Malmo harbour, where they once again blocked traffic and were subsequently removed by the police.
During her court appearance, Thunberg passionately justified her actions, expressing her belief that the world faces an environmental emergency that poses severe risks to life, health, and property. She stressed that numerous individuals and communities are in peril both in the short and long term due to climate change.
The Cost of Climate Activism
As a result of the court’s ruling, Thunberg has been ordered to pay a fine of 1,500 SEK (144 USD) and an additional 1,000 crowns (96 USD) to Sweden’s fund for crime victims. It is a fund that is distributed for research and other victim-oriented projects driven in a non-profit, public or private way.
Each convicted person must pay this fine if the offense can be punished with imprisonment. The fund is managed by the “Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority”, a government agency that also provides compensation and support for victims of crime.
The fine against Thunberg was imposed in proportion to her reported income. Notably, disobeying a police order in Sweden carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between climate activists like Greta Thunberg and the authorities. As the urgency of climate change intensifies, activists continue to grapple with legal repercussions while maintaining their fervent determination to push meaningful change.
Fighting for a Future
The 20-year-old activist has her fair share of run-ins with the law over her protests against fossil fuel burning. She began her activism in 2018, when she was 15 years old, by staging a solo protest outside the Swedish Parliament.
She held a sign that read “Skolstrejk för klimatet,” which means “School strike for climate”. She and her cause quickly gained international attention, and inspired other youngsters around the world to start their own climate strikes. She led a global climate strike in 2019 in which millions of people took to the streets to demand action on climate change.
Her powerful voice and defiant attitude towards the use of fossil fuels has led her to face law on several occasions. She has been detained in protests across London, New York, and Paris in 2018 and 2019, the years that marked the start of climate revolution.
However, climate activists continue to pay for their cause till this year. Recently in January, Thunberg against faced the law in Garzweiler, Germany, after she joined a protest against the demolition of a village to make way for a coal mine. She was not arrested, but was carried away alongside other protesters for identification.
In March, Thunberg was briefly detained by police in Oslo, Norway, after she joined a protest against wind farms on Indigenous people’s land rights. She was released without charge.
The purpose of these protests is to push politicians to at least treat climate change as a crisis.
