Thunberg protests just hours after court fine
Jul 25, 2023
Copenhagen [Denmark], July 25: Only hours after showing up in court for resisting police orders while protesting, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was out demonstrating again on Monday.
Undeterred by the fines that had been handed down to her by a Swedish court, Thunberg participated in a similar act of civil disobedience to the one that got her in trouble the first time at the oil port in the Swedish city of Malmo.
She once again refused to comply with police orders to clear the street, media reports said.
Photos in Swedish media outlets showed the 20-year-old, who became the face of climate activism after staging weekly protests at the Swedish parliament, being carried away by police officers.
"We are doing this because we are in the middle of a climate crisis," Thunberg told Swedish news agency TT. "We who can act have an obligation to do so."
Earlier on Monday, at the Malmo District Court, Thunberg admitted to taking part in a separate protest in June and ignoring police instructions. However, she rejected the idea that it was a criminal offence, reported TT.
"My actions are justifiable," Thunberg told the court, saying she was acting in the face of a climate emergency.
The court, however, did not accept this argument.
Thunberg was sentenced to 30 daily fines of 50 Swedish kronor ($4.80) for resisting state authority. She was also ordered to pay 1,000 kronor to a fund for crime victims.
The activist, who lives in Stockholm, took part in a climate protest at Malmo's oil harbour in June that lasted several days, during which protesters prevented oil tankers from leaving the harbour.
She posted her own account of the protest on social media, including a picture of herself in front of a truck holding a sign that read "I am blocking tankers" in Swedish.
Four other activists were also charged for refusing to clear the road despite being ordered to do so several times by police officers.
A number of Thunberg's supporters had reportedly gathered outside the courthouse.
Source: Qatar Tribune
