Despite being found guilty of disobeying law enforcement officers, Greta Thunberg, a climate activist from Sweden, managed to avoid imprisonment.
Thunberg and fellow activists were apprehended on June 19 in Malmö, located in southern Sweden, following their disruption of traffic at the oil terminal in the port.
As per the charge sheet, the protester ‘declined to comply with police instructions to vacate the premises’ and ‘engaged in a protest that caused traffic disturbance’. The individual, who is 20 years old, presented themselves at Malmö District Court after 11am (9am GMT) today.
Today, Thunberg expressed that she had acted out of compulsion but was found culpable and penalized. Thunberg ignited an international youth campaign urging more robust endeavors to combat global warming.
According to the Sydsvenskan newspaper, Thunberg informed the court that “my deeds are defensible.” “I am of the opinion that we are facing a crisis that endangers life, well-being, and possessions,” she expressed. “In both the immediate and distant future, numerous individuals and communities are in jeopardy.”
When questioned about the accusation leveled against her, she informed the court, ‘I desire to refute the wrongdoing, but it’s accurate that I received a directive that I failed to heed and it’s accurate that I was present at that location on that particular day.’
After a brief trial, the court determined that she was still responsible for her actions and ordered her to pay a fine of 1,500 kronor (£112), along with an extra 1,000 kronor to the Swedish fund for victims of crime.
It was reported that the charge against Thunberg could at-most result in a six-month jail sentence, however normally resulted in a fine.
In an effort to demonstrate their opposition to the utilization of fossil fuel, the June demonstration, orchestrated by the environmental advocacy organization ‘Ta tillbaka framtiden’ (Reclaim the Future), attempted to obstruct the entry and exit points of the Malmo harbor.
In her Instagram post, Thunberg stated, ‘We opt not to be mere spectators and rather physically obstruct the fossil fuel infrastructure.’
‘We are restoring the future.’
As per the spokesperson of the Swedish Prosecution Authority, Annika Collin, and a statement issued by the prosecutors, Thunberg faced charges earlier this month as she had declined to adhere to the police instructions to vacate the area during the demonstration.
She was captured smiling as she arrived at the Malmö District Court this morning before the hearing.
She joined the protest in Malmö organized by the environmental activist group ‘Reclaim the Future’, as they attempted to block the entrance and exit of the harbor in order to protest the use of fossil fuels.
The group stated on July 5 that they are currently facing criminal charges for obstructing the actions that are jeopardizing our future.
‘While accusations are being made against us, the true wrongdoing is occurring behind the doors we have barricaded’.
Greta Thunberg was just 15 years old when she began her ‘School Strike for the Climate’ in front of the parliament in Stockholm, Sweden.
She and a small group of young individuals established the Fridays for Future campaign, which rapidly became a worldwide sensation.
Besides her climate strikes, the youthful advocate frequently criticizes governments and politicians for their inadequate handling of climate concerns.
At the end of March, she condemned what she called an unprecedented betrayal by leaders, following the publication of the latest report by the UN’s climate advisory panel, the IPCC.
Thunberg’s second time in Germany, protesting against coal mining, resulted in her being carried away by riot police officers for three days. This arrest followed her detainment in January and June.
She was among dozens of climate activists who were detained by police officers during protests at a coal mine in the village of Lutzerath in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.
Riot police clashed with the activists protesting against the ongoing destruction of the village to make way for a coal mine expansion.