Fossil Free London activists argue that the charges against Greta Thunberg are part of a broader government crackdown on the right to protest, as the Swedish climate activist faces a public order offence charge in London. Thunberg and 12 others appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court for a plea hearing following their arrest for demonstrating outside an oil industry conference.
The Energy Intelligence Forum, formerly the Oil and Money conference, hosted fossil fuel company executives, financiers, and politicians from 17 to 19 October. Activists from Fossil Free London, as part of the Oily Money Out campaign, protested against the political influence and lobbying of oil and gas giants and banks by blocking the entrance to the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel.
Extinction Rebellion (XR), involved in the action, contends that young activists, including Greta, resort to such measures to protect themselves from the escalating climate crisis. An XR spokesperson states, “Like people all over the world, they are rising in a fury that is rooted in love. We will all continue to resist.”
Greta Thunberg was charged on 18 October for failing to comply with a condition under Section 14 of the Public Order Act during the demonstration. The act, recently amended by the controversial Policing Bill in the UK, expands police powers to set legally binding conditions on marches and assemblies. Thunberg and others pleaded ‘not guilty’ to breaching these conditions, with a potential maximum fine of £2,500 (around €2,870) if found guilty.
Campaigners, including Fossil Free London, view these charges as part of a wider government effort to curb the right to protest. Joanna Warrington, an organizer, remarks, “The UK Government is trying to shut down free speech and free assembly rather than act on climate.”
Greta Thunberg has faced legal issues before, having been detained or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway, and Germany this year. Last month, she was fined approximately €400 by a Swedish court for disobeying a police order at an oil terminal protest in Malmo, following a €200 fine in July for a similar offense in Sweden.
The trial for Greta and other protesters is scheduled for 1 February in the City of London Magistrates Court, marking another chapter in the activist’s ongoing commitment to climate justice. Thirteen additional defendants will appear in later court dates related to the Oily Money Out action.
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