Greta Thunberg Charged With Disobeying Police, Blocking Traffic in Sweden

Greta Thunberg

Over the years, Greta Thunberg has evolved from a troubled teenager with a passion for environmentalism, to a climate prophet idolized by the media, and a catch-all type of activist campaigning for multiple causes at once, including political ones.The Swedish authorities have charged climate activist Greta Thunberg with disobeying police orders to leave a climate protest in Malmo earlier this June, which saw the former media darling arrested and carried away by police officers.Thunberg, 20, was apprehended on June 19 for refusing to leave the blockade of an oil terminal in the southern Swedish port of Malmo during a sit-in protest that lasted several days.She was part of the disruption of shipping activities in the harbor organized by the environmentalist group Take Back the Future. Notably, Thunberg herself actively commented from the protest on social media to her numerous followers and even posted a selfie with a sign saying “I am blocking tankers” in front of a tanker truck.© PhotoScreengrab of a tweet by Greta ThunbergScreengrab of a tweet by Greta ThunbergGreta loftily called it “reclaiming the future.” She suggested that the group “chose to not be bystanders, and instead physically stop the fossil fuel infrastructure.”The activist is now due at the Malmo District Court before the end of July. Legally, charges for disobeying police carry sentences of up to six months in jail, although under ordinary circumstances most often lead to fines.Hardly needing an introduction, Greta Thunberg propelled herself to international fame as a 15-year-old teenager by organizing solo protests outside the Swedish parliament. Subsequently, they morphed into a global ‘Fridays for Future’ movement, for which she became a front figure, encouraging kids across the globe to skip school and protest.Green ‘Colonialism’? Greta Thunberg Joins Indigenous Protest Opposing Wind Power in Norway1 March 2023, 07:57 GMTBasking in media attention and becoming an icon of the climate movement, Thunberg was elevated to the status of a environmental guru of sorts and formed a bizarre relationship with the powers that be, who kept inviting her to various international forums and events, only to be reproached for failing to act on the climate issue fast enough. Greta’s harangues often included personal grievances: for instance, she notoriously accused the elites of “stealing her childhood and her dreams.” Most recently, she lashed the world leaders for “unprecedented betrayal,” after the publication of the UN climate advisory panel’s annual report.In touring the world in order to raise awareness and promote her cause, Thunberg has teamed up with numerous celebrities who have redefined themselves as climate ambassadors, ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Leonardo DiCaprio.Despite initially embarking as a pure environmentalist, Greta Thunberg has since broadened her sphere of interests, having campaigned for various causes ranging from indigenous communities to sexual minorities’ rights. However, her popularity has in recent years somewhat lost its sparkle, with her name emerging increasingly seldom, mostly in conjunction with various protests.

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