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Greta Thunberg (M.) at the pro-Palestinian demonstration in Leipzig

Photo: Raik Schache / dpa

The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg surprisingly took part in a solidarity campaign in Leipzig for Palestinians.

A police spokesman said Thunberg spent some time at the demonstration in downtown Leipzig on Wednesday evening and also gave a short speech.

Around 200 people took part in the registered demonstration.

The “Leipziger Volkszeitung” first reported about it.

According to the police spokesman, it was not known in advance that Thunberg, who became known worldwide as a leading figure in the climate protection group Fridays for Future, was taking part in the action in the Saxon city.

The demonstration went off without incident.

There was also a small solidarity campaign for Israel in her area.

According to the newspaper, Thunberg criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza war in her speech.

Thunberg and other members of the Swedish branch of the climate protection group Fridays for Future accused Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip in December.

At the same time, the group condemned anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents in Sweden.

Israel is currently having to answer for the first time before the International Court of Justice in The Hague on charges of genocide.

South Africa sued the country at the end of 2023 because it sees the military violence against the civilian population in the Gaza Strip as a violation of the UN Genocide Convention.

Israel firmly rejects the accusation and insists on its right to self-defense against Hamas.

The climate activist Thunberg was massively criticized internationally last fall for her positioning in the Gaza war.

Many accused her of only one-sidedly criticizing Israel's actions and thereby relativizing the violence of the Islamist Hamas.

Thunberg also promoted support for pro-Palestinian groups that had previously attracted attention with anti-Semitic theses.

The German branch of Fridays for Future in particular clearly distanced itself from the actual climate protection icon.

aeh/mrc/dpa