Climate change activist Greta Thunberg charged in public order offense after Fossil Free London protest

By Team Newsable | First Published Oct 18, 2023, 5:13 PM IST

Fossil Free London's protest unfolded on the first day of the three-day Energy Intelligence Forum (formerly the Oil and Money conference). This event featured appearances by top executives from companies like Shell and Total.

Renowned climate change activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with a public order offense following her participation in a Fossil Free London protest. The 20-year-old Swedish national stands accused of breaching a Section 14 order, which authorities had enforced outside the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane. This enforcement was in response to a gathering of oil executives during the Energy Intelligence Forum event.

During the protest, a total of 27 demonstrators were arrested, with 26 of them facing charges, as reported by the Metropolitan Police.

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Greta Thunberg has been granted bail, and her trial is scheduled for November 15.

The Metropolitan Police asserted that the Section 14 conditions were imposed to prevent significant disruption to the community, hotel, and its guests. Authorities had requested that activists move from the road to the pavement to continue their protest. However, a number of protesters did not comply and were subsequently arrested.

Addressing the rally, Greta Thunberg condemned the close ties between politicians and lobbyists from industries she described as destructive, such as the fossil fuel sector. She emphasized the suffering and fatalities resulting from the climate crisis attributed to these industries and the access they have to policymakers. Demonstrators at the rally blocked Hamilton Place near Park Lane, voicing their demands with banners and colorful smoke flares.

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