24-7-2023 (STOCKHOLM) The prominent Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg, is set to face trial on Monday (Jul 24) in the southern Swedish city of Malmo. Thunberg has been charged with disobeying police orders at a rally held last month, which saw activists block the port in the city.
According to the charge sheet seen by AFP, the 20-year-old activist “took part in a demonstration that disrupted traffic” and “refused to obey police orders to leave the site.” While Thunberg could face a maximum sentence of six months in prison, prosecutor Charlotte Ottosen has stated that these types of charges usually result in fines.
The rally, organised by the environmental activist group “Ta tillbaka framtiden” (Reclaim the Future), aimed to block the entrance and exit to the Malmo harbour to protest against the use of fossil fuels. Thunberg shared her thoughts on Instagram, saying, “We choose to not be bystanders, and instead physically stop the fossil fuel infrastructure. We are reclaiming the future.”
Thunberg gained global recognition after starting her “School Strike for the Climate” in front of Sweden’s parliament in Stockholm at the age of 15. She and a small group of youths founded the Fridays for Future movement, which quickly became a global phenomenon. The young activist is known for regularly criticising governments and politicians for their inadequate response to climate issues.
The group “Reclaim the Future” remains unbroken despite the legal pressures it faces. Group spokesperson Irma Kjellstrom said, “If the court chooses to see our action as a crime, it may do so, but we know we have the right to live, and the fossil fuels industry stands in the way of that.” Six members of the organisation are also expected to appear in court in Malmo.
“We young people are not going to wait but will do what we can to stop this industry, which is burning our lives,” Kjellstrom said, explaining the group’s plans for continuing civil disobedience.
Thunberg, when questioned by the police about the Malmo rally, simply responded with “no comment,”
