The Swedish local weather activist was on trial for protesting outdoors an oil and gasoline convention in London in October.
Local weather activist Greta Thunberg has been cleared of a public order offence over a protest outdoors an oil and gasoline convention final yr, after a decide in a London court docket dominated she had no case to reply.
District decide John Regulation dismissed the case in opposition to the 21-year-old Swedish campaigner and 4 different activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom on Friday.
He dominated that police had tried to impose “unlawful” situations throughout an environmental protest within the British capital final October once they had been arrested.
Thunberg, who turned a outstanding campaigner worldwide after staging weekly protests in entrance of the Swedish parliament in 2018, was arrested together with dozens of others outdoors a London lodge the place the Vitality Intelligence Discussion board was internet hosting oil and gasoline trade leaders.
She and 4 others, aged between 19 and 59, had been additionally accused of failing to adjust to an order by police to maneuver their protest to a delegated space close to the convention.
Thunberg had pleaded not responsible in November to breaching a public order regulation, alongside two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) marketing campaign group and two Greenpeace activists.
She additionally joined a march final weekend in southern England to protest in opposition to the growth of Farnborough airport, which is especially utilized by personal jets.
‘Remember who the real enemy is’
Upfront of Friday’s court docket ruling, Thunberg lamented about not having the ability to have a local weather strike in London.
“Even though we are the ones standing here, and climate, environmental and human rights activists all over the world are being targeted for their activism, prosecuted, sometimes convicted and given legal penalties for acting in line with science,” she mentioned in a put up on the social media platform X.
“We must remember who the real enemy is,” she added.
Week 285. As we speak we’re unable to have a local weather strike. I’m considered one of 5 activists in a trial in London for peacefully protesting in opposition to an oil convention in October. The demonstration aimed to focus on the horrible consequence of the on a regular basis enterprise of fossil companies.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/hKJmhTK2WO— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 2, 2024
Addressing the 5 defendants on Friday, Regulation mentioned, “You are all found not guilty of this offence.”
In his ruling, he additionally highlighted that the situations imposed on protesters had been “so unclear that it is unlawful”, which meant “anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offence”.
Greenpeace UK campaigner Maja Darlington hailed Friday’s verdict as “a victory for the right to protest”.
She advised the AFP information company that “it is ridiculous that more and more climate activists are finding themselves in court for peacefully exercising their right to protest, while fossil fuel giants like Shell are allowed to reap billions in profits from selling climate-wrecking fossil fuels.”
Thunberg and her 4 co-defendants hugged earlier than leaving court docket.