Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been acquitted of a public order offense related to a protest outside an oil and gas conference last year, following a ruling by a judge at a London court.
District judge John Law dismissed the case against the 21-year-old Swedish campaigner and four other activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. He ruled that the police had attempted to impose “unlawful” conditions during an environmental protest in London last October when they were arrested.
Thunberg, known for her prominent campaign for climate action, was arrested along with others outside a London hotel where the Energy Intelligence Forum was hosting oil and gas industry leaders. She and four others were also accused of failing to comply with an order by police to move their protest to a designated area near the conference.
In November, Thunberg had pleaded not guilty to breaching a public order law, along with two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) campaign group and two Greenpeace activists. She also participated in a recent march in southern England to protest against the expansion of Farnborough airport, predominantly used by private jets.
Before the court ruling, Thunberg expressed her disappointment at not being able to hold a climate strike in London, emphasizing the ongoing targeting and persecution of climate, environmental, and human rights activists worldwide.
Following the ruling, Greenpeace UK campaigner Maja Darlington hailed the verdict as “a victory for the right to protest” and criticized the increasing trend of climate activists facing legal action while fossil fuel companies continue their operations.
Thunberg and her co-defendants were found not guilty of the offense, prompting them to embrace before leaving the court.
These events underscore the ongoing tensions between environmental activists and authorities, as the global debate over climate change and the actions of fossil fuel corporations continues to escalate.
