Greta Thunberg Pleads Not Guilty in London Court

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Facts

  • Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg pled not guilty on Wednesday alongside four other activists at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London after being charged with breaking Section 14 of the UK's 1986 Public Order Act.1
  • Thunberg was arrested on Oct. 17 during protests outside of the Energy Intelligence Forum, an oil and gas conference. All of the accused have been granted unconditional bail prior to trial at the City of London's Magistrates' Court beginning in February.2
  • Thunberg is accused of breaching the Public Order Act by failing to leave a highway and continuing protests on a pavement. Before her arrest, Thunberg had stated that the world's 'hopes and dreams' were being 'washed away' by a 'flood of greenwashing and lies.'3
  • The Public Order Act was recently amended under the UK's policing bill, allowing the police to enforce legally binding conditions for protests. If found guilty, Thunberg could face a maximum fine of £2.5K ($3.1K).4
  • Thunberg's address in Stockholm, Sweden, wasn't read out in court in part due to potential security concerns. The activist, who initially staged weekly climate protests outside of the Swedish Parliament in 2018, was fined by a Swedish court in July for disobeying police and blocking traffic.5

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Sky News, 3Independent, 4Euronews and 5Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Progressive narrative, as provided by Canary. Thunberg's arrest and charge are the product of a controversial and troubling amendment to British law that seeks to repress free speech and expose the UK government and Big Business for their malpractices against the environment. This is a further example of the establishment seeking to continue its production of profit and power at the expense of the world's future.
  • Conservative narrative, as provided by Spiked. Thunberg and her band of doomsday predictors continue to garner an excessively large press contingent for her flawed message. The reality of Thunberg's dreams and demands would lead to a horrific impact on the world via the implementation of eco-austerity. Thunberg's message, despite its shiny veil, is not for the people but rather for the delusional. The 20-year-old and her vanguard must be treated with caution.