Activist Greta Thunberg acquitted at trial in London
The young Swedish Greta Thunberg, a figure in the fight against global warming, won her trial this Friday, February 2 in London, where she was on trial for disturbing public order during a demonstration against the hydrocarbon industry in October last.
Swedish Greta Thunberg leaves the court on February 2, 2024 in London, after being acquitted with four other activists. AP - Kirsty Wigglesworth
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Twenty-six activists were arrested on October 17 for disrupting access to the Energy Intelligence Forum, a conference which brought together the main oil and gas companies in a luxury hotel in London.
Greta Thunberg
was prosecuted for not having complied with the London police's injunction not to block access to the hotel where this rally took place.
But the judge at Westminster Magistrates Court ruled this Friday that the conditions for the demonstration were "
unreasonably imposed
" by the police on the activists present at the scene, and that other measures "
were available and would have could be put in place
. Consequently, “
anyone who has not respected these rules has not committed an offense
,” he added. He therefore decided to drop the charges.
During a previous hearing in November, Greta Thunberg pleaded not guilty, like the four other activists who appeared with her, and who also saw the charges against them dropped on Friday. The 21-year-old young activist risked a maximum fine of 2,500 pounds (nearly 3,000 euros). Released under judicial supervision after her arrest, the next day she took part in a new demonstration in front of the five-star hotel, with hundreds of other people.
“
A victory for the freedom to demonstrate
”
“
Even though we are the ones standing here, ... environmental and human rights activists around the world are being prosecuted ... for acting in accordance with science. We must remember who the real enemy is
,” Greta Thunberg told the press on Thursday as she left Westminster Magistrates Court after the first day of hearings. Shortly after, accompanied by activists from the Extinction Rebellion (XR) group, she was invited to a conference on scientific forecasts organized by the Science Museum in London and questioned museum officials about one of its sponsors, the conglomerate Adani, particularly active in coal, according to a press release from XR.
Also read “I am Greta”, a valuable documentary for understanding Greta Thunberg
“
Today’s verdict (Friday) is a victory for the freedom to demonstrate. It is ridiculous that more and more climate activists are ending up in court for peacefully exercising their right to protest, while fossil fuel giants, like Shell, are allowed to make billions in profits selling fossil fuels. destructive for the climate
,” responded the NGO Greenpeace in a press release.
In the United Kingdom, the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has attracted the anger of environmental activists, part of the political class and even its own camp for its reversals on key measures of its climate policy. He is particularly criticized for having decided to grant new permits for the exploitation of hydrocarbon deposits in the North Sea. Environmental groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have stepped up their actions to denounce this policy. Very hostile to these movements, the government has toughened the legislation to punish them more severely and dissuade them from taking action.
(
With
AFP)
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