Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been fined and removed by police from two protests in Sweden, where she was accused of disobeying police orders and blocking the port of Malmo.
The 20-year-old, who rose to fame for her school strikes and global campaigns against climate change, appeared in court on Monday over a rally in June, where she and other protesters tried to stop the entrance and exit of oil trucks in Malmo harbour.
She pleaded not guilty and said she acted out of necessity due to the “climate crisis”. She said she had the right to live and the fossil fuel industry stood in the way of that.
“We choose to not be bystanders, and instead physically stop the fossil fuel infrastructure. We are reclaiming the future,” she wrote on Instagram at the time of the June rally.
The court found her guilty and issued a fine of 1,500 krona (US$144) plus an additional 1,000 krona to the Swedish fund for victims of crime. The crime she was convicted of can carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison, but usually these types of charges result in fines.
Thunberg said she was not going to back down and that the laws had to be changed. She said it was absurd that the ones acting in line with the science had to pay the price for it.
“We know that we cannot save the world by playing by the rules because the laws have to be changed,” she said after being fined.
Hours after the trial, Thunberg joined another protest similar to the one in June and was removed by police along with other activists. The protest was organised by Reclaim the Future, a group that plans to continue civil disobedience against the fossil fuel industry.
Thunberg is one of the most prominent faces of the climate movement, having inspired millions of people around the world to join her Fridays for Future strikes and rallies. She has also spoken at several international forums and conferences, calling out governments and politicians for their inaction and lack of ambition on tackling climate change.
Relevant articles:
– Greta Thunberg to go on trial over Swedish climate protest, Channel News Asia, Jul 24, 2023
– Trial of Greta Thunberg in Malmö has begun, MSN, Jul 24, 2023
– Greta Thunberg fined over Swedish climate protest, BBC News, Jul 25, 2023
– Sweden police remove climate activist Greta Thunberg from protest hours after fine, South China Morning Post, Jul 25, 2023