Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying police during climate protest in Sweden - POLITICO Europe
Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying police during climate protest in Sweden - POLITICO
Greta Thunberg was found guilty of disobeying police during a climate protest in Malmö, Sweden, and ordered to pay a little over €200 in fines.
Thunberg appeared at Malmö District Court on Monday morning, facing a charge of disobeying law enforcement, Swedish news outlets reported. The charge dates from June 19, when Thunberg and a dozen other protesters held a demonstration in the Swedish city, blocking the road to the oil port.
Police reportedly ordered protesters to move and detained those who refused — including Thunberg.
At the hearing, Thunberg admitted that she refused to obey the police order, but denied committing a crime, reported Swedish outlet Dagens Nyheter.
"I think we are in an emergency," she told the court. "There is a climate crisis that threatens life, health and property."
Thunberg was fined 50 Swedish krona — €4,33 — a day for 30 days, for a total of €129,90, in addition to paying 1,000 krona — €86 — to the Crime Victim Fund, Swedish news outlets reported.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”