The environmental activist has pleaded not guilty to a charge of police disobedience, alleging that her activities were required to rescue the ecosystem.
A Swedish court punished Greta Thunberg for failing to obey a police order during a protest action in the southern city of Malmo last month, according to numerous local media sites on Monday.
On June 19, the 20-year-old activist attempted to hold a protest in Oljehamnen, a port region in the city’s northern outskirts. She attempted to block the entry and exit of oil trucks from and into the port by squatting on the road with numerous members of the ‘Take Back the Future’ campaign. When police ordered them to leave the road, the group resisted.
An officer on the scene testified that the group did not have a permit to hold a demonstration. In this context, law authorities chose to relocate the demonstrators since they were impeding traffic.
As a result, Thunberg was fined 1,500 Swedish krona ($144) by Malmo District Court. Despite admitting to receiving a police order, the activist pleaded not guilty. Thunberg called her actions “justifiable” since “the climate crisis threatens life, health, and property.” She also stated that the protest was “calm” and did not harm anyone.
Thunberg stated that the ruling did not surprise her, adding that “it is outrageous that individuals who act in accordance with science should pay the price for it… whereas those who use fossil fuels are not held accountable.”
In addition to Thunberg, two other protesters were charged with disobeying law enforcement and will be arraigned next month.
The climate activist has previously faced law enforcement personnel. She was temporarily detained by German police in January at a protest against the construction of a coal mine in the country’s west, although she escaped prosecution at the time.
