The first trial of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg opens on Monday, July 24, 2023, in Malmö, southern Sweden, where she will be tried for disobeying police orders during a mid-June rally during which she and other activists blocked the city’s port, AFP reported.
Accused of “refusing to comply”, the young woman is due to appear before the Malmö court at 11:30 am. She will be present, Irma Kjellström, spokesperson for the environmental organization Tatilbaka framtiden (Demand for the Future), confirmed to AFP.
See also: SERVICE. Are young people really interested in the climate?
June 19 environmental activist “took part in a demonstration that disrupted traffic”according to a complaint seen by AFP. “She refused to obey the police order to leave the scene. »
Fossil fuel protest
On that day, 20-year-old Greta Thunberg, along with the organization Tatilbaka framtiden, took part in an action in the port of Malmö, whose activists blocked entry and exit in protest against the use of fossil fuels, immobilizing cars and tankers.
“We have decided not to be bystanders and (…) physically shut down fossil fuel infrastructure. We are restoring the future”Greta Thunberg wrote on Instagram.
During police interrogation, Ms. Thunberg made a brief statement. ” no comments “ to the questions put by the investigator, according to the minutes of the preliminary investigation, a copy of which was received by AFP.
“Burn Our Lives”
On the side of Tatilbaka framtiden, the determination remains to fight the fossil fuel industry. “If the court decides to treat our actions (traffic violations) as an offense, they can do it, but we know that we have the right to life, and the fuel industry is blocking this right.”responded to AFP Irma Kjellström from “Tatilbaka framtiden”, which specifies that a total of six activists of the organization will also be judged following the action in the port of Malmö.
“We young people are not going to wait, but we will do our best to stop this industry burning our lives”she added, declaring a method of civil disobedience.
For a fine?
Greta Thunberg faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison, but according to the prosecutor in charge of Charlotte Ottosen’s case, the charge in question usually results in a fine.
On Friday in August 2018, the activist, then 15 years old and completely unknown, sat down in front of the Swedish parliament for the first time with a poster “School strike for climate”. Within months, from Berlin to Sydney, from San Francisco to Johannesburg, young people followed suit, and the Fridays for the Future movement was born.
In addition to her climate protests, Greta Thunberg regularly attacks politicians and governments for their climate inaction.