Greta Thunberg found guilty by Swedish court for failing to obey police at a climate protest - Euronews
Greta Thunberg found guilty of failing to obey police at climate protest | Euronews
She told Swedish media that she will not be appealing the verdict.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been found guilty by a Swedish court of disobeying a police order at a protest in Malmo last month.
The 20-year-old avoided a potential prison sentence and has been fined. Swedish media reports that the fine will be calculated on the basis of her income.
Greta had pleaded not guilty and told the court: "My actions are justifiable," according to the Sydsvenskan newspaper.
What was the verdict in Greta Thunberg trial?
Greta was charged because she refused to comply with police orders to leave the scene during the protest, according to Swedish Prosecution Authority spokeswoman Annika Collin and a statement from prosecutors.
Greta inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger efforts to fight climate change after staging weekly protests outside the Swedish Parliament starting in 2018.
What happened at the Malmo climate protest?
Starting on 15 June, climate activists staged a multi-day protest at Malmö's port.
Led by youth group Ta tillbaka framtiden (Take Back the Future), protestors physically blocked oil tankers in the harbour.
"The climate crisis is already a matter of life and death for countless people," Greta tweeted during the protest. "We choose to not be bystanders, and instead physically stop the fossil fuel infrastructure. We are reclaiming the future."
When the protestors were ordered to move to allow vehicles to pass, Greta was among those who refused. She was then dragged away by police.
Earlier in the year, the climate activist was briefly detained by police in Oslo during a protest against wind farms built on Indigenous land in Norway.
She was also detained during protests against the demolition of the coal village of Luetzerath in Germany in January.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate diplomacy
Talks are well underway in preparation for the next major international meeting on climate change, 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), scheduled to begin Nov. 30 in the United Arab Emirates.
Much like last year’s COP27, finances — specifically, aid to developing nations — will be at the center of conference deliberations.
The conference faces an even greater sense of urgency brought on by the Sept. 8, 2023, release of the first global stocktake, which calls for accelerated action to meet the goals set in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement (COP21).
Climate diplomacy: COP 27 | Climate diplomacy: COP 28 | Climate diplomacy: COP 29