The Swedish local weather activist was on trial for protesting outdoors an oil and fuel convention in London in October.
Local weather activist Greta Thunberg has been cleared of a public order offence over a protest outdoors an oil and fuel convention final 12 months, after a decide in a London court docket dominated she had no case to reply.
District decide John Legislation dismissed the case in opposition to the 21-year-old Swedish campaigner and 4 different activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom on Friday.
He dominated that police had tried to impose “illegal” situations throughout an environmental protest within the British capital final October after they had been arrested.
Thunberg, who turned a distinguished campaigner worldwide after staging weekly protests in entrance of the Swedish parliament in 2018, was arrested together with dozens of others outdoors a London lodge the place the Power Intelligence Discussion board was internet hosting oil and fuel trade leaders.
She and 4 others, aged between 19 and 59, had been additionally accused of failing to adjust to an order by police to maneuver their protest to a chosen space close to the convention.
Thunberg had pleaded not responsible in November to breaching a public order legislation, alongside two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) marketing campaign group and two Greenpeace activists.
She additionally joined a march final weekend in southern England to protest in opposition to the growth of Farnborough airport, which is principally utilized by personal jets.
‘Bear in mind who the true enemy is’
Upfront of Friday’s court docket ruling, Thunberg lamented about not having the ability to have a local weather strike in London.
“Though we’re those standing right here, and local weather, environmental and human rights activists all around the world are being focused for his or her activism, prosecuted, typically convicted and given authorized penalties for performing in step with science,” she stated in a publish on the social media platform X.
“We should keep in mind who the true enemy is,” she added.
Week 285. Right now we’re unable to have a local weather strike. I’m one in every of 5 activists in a trial in London for peacefully protesting in opposition to an oil convention in October. The demonstration aimed to spotlight the horrible consequence of the on a regular basis enterprise of fossil firms.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/hKJmhTK2WO— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 2, 2024
Addressing the 5 defendants on Friday, Legislation stated, “You might be all discovered not responsible of this offence.”
In his ruling, he additionally highlighted that the situations imposed on protesters had been “so unclear that it’s illegal”, which meant “anybody failing to conform had been truly committing no offence”.
Greenpeace UK campaigner Maja Darlington hailed Friday’s verdict as “a victory for the fitting to protest”.
She instructed the AFP information company that “it’s ridiculous that an increasing number of local weather activists are discovering themselves in court docket for peacefully exercising their proper to protest, whereas fossil gas giants like Shell are allowed to reap billions in income from promoting climate-wrecking fossil fuels.”
Thunberg and her 4 co-defendants hugged earlier than leaving court docket.
