Who is Greta Thunberg? What to know about the activist as ship stopped by Israeli forces
Climate change activist Greta Thunberg is among a dozen activists on board a charity ship stopped by Israel forces on June 9, attempting to reach the Gaza Strip, sparking international outcry over blockade enforcement and humanitarian aid.
The vessel, named the Madleen, tried to break a naval blockade en route to port in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israeli forces to board the vessel, Reuters reported.
In addition to Thunberg, French lawmaker Rima Hassan was among the 12 people on the ship.
The crew was headed to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid including food, Thunberg said during a press conference eight days earlier in Catania, Italy.
International nonprofit organization Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said its vessel was headed to Gaza after a previous attempt failed due to a drone attack on a separate ship in the Mediterranean.
The ship departed the Italian port of Catania on June 1. While en route, those on board rescued four migrants between the coasts of Libya and Greece.
But who is Greta Thunberg and why is she famous? Here’s what to know about the activist.
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a 22-year-old environmental activist from Sweden.
The writer and actress has been credited with raising global awareness of the risks posed by climate change and with holding politicians accountable for their lack of action on the climate crisis.
In 2018, Thunberg founded Fridays for Future, a climate action movement which garnered international attention.
At age 15, she started taking weeks off school to demonstrate outside the Swedish parliament.
At 16, the teen inspired what some have considered the largest climate strike in history, testified before Congress and addressed the United Nations for the second time.
What films has Greta Thunberg been in?
Thunberg stars in the three-part PBS documentary, “Greta Thunberg: A Year to Change the World.”
In the series, she travels the globe observing the effects of climate change and advocating for action.
She also stars in the 2020 documentary “I Am Greta.” The film follows the activists rise to prominence, going from one-girl school strikes outside the Swedish parliament to regularly scolding world leaders at climate conferences.
What did Greta Thunberg say about being on the ship?
In a pre-recorded video posted to social media, Thunberg pre-emptively described the incident as her boat being “kidnapped.”
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,” Thunberg says in the video while standing on the ship, holding onto a rope.
Contributing: Brian Truitt
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund