By Christina Anderson and Emma Bubola
A court in Sweden fined the climate activist on Monday on charges of disobeying police orders while blocking traffic last month during a protest in the port of the city of Malmo.
“Why is it us — who are taking action in line with the science to stop the fossil industry — who face legal consequences, when the fossil industry continues to destroy the chance for people to live safe and worthy lives?” Ms. Thunberg, 20, who is perhaps the world’s most prominent climate activist, said to reporters outside the court on Monday.
The decision came as much of Southern Europe is in the grip of scorching heat waves, which have become more frequent and intense because of climate change.
By Johan Ahlander and Tom Little
MALMO, July 24 (Reuters) - Climate activist Greta Thunberg was forcibly removed by police from a protest in the southern Swedish city of Malmo on Monday just hours after a local court fined her for disobeying a police order during a similar protest last month.
Thunberg, 20, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament, admitted during the court proceedings that she had disobeyed the police order but pleaded not guilty and said that she was acting out of necessity.
"It is absurd that those who act in line with science should pay the price for it," she told reporters in the Malmo district court.
Climate activist carried away by police for blocking traffic at protest near the harbour in Malmo, Sweden.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been forcibly removed by police from a protest in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, hours after a local court fined her for disobeying a police order during a similar protest last month.
Thunberg, 20, who became the face of young climate activists worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament, admitted during the court proceedings on Monday that she had disobeyed the police order but pleaded not guilty and said she was acting out of necessity.
Asked by reporters if she would exercise more caution in the future following her fine, Thunberg said climate protesters were “definitely not going to back down”.
“We know that we cannot save the world by playing by the rules because the laws have to be changed,” the activist said.
I am in awe of this young woman’s courage to act on her convictions (no pun intended). With national governments unwilling or unable to make the drastic changes that are necessary to advert an approaching global catastrophe, it appears only direct action and civil disobedience in mass protests by the citizenry have any chance of changing course, as our civilization races toward a disastrous outcome, that our descendants will have to live with the odious consequences for centuries to come.
I am reading Greta Thunberg’s new book: “The Climate Book” and I highly recommend it to everyone. It delves into the many facets of human caused climate change, with authorities in each area authoring a section on their field of speciality, in terms average readers can grasp.
The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions
By Roger Harrabin
Most journalists tiptoed round this topic because no one wanted to lose their reputation by scaremongering. But as the science steadily became overwhelming researchers pushed their conclusions in the face of policymakers.
More and more scientists are now admitting publicly that they are scared by the recent climate extremes, such as the floods in Pakistan and west Africa, the droughts and heatwaves in Europe and east Africa, and the rampant ice melt at the poles.
That is not because an increase in extremes was not predicted. It was always high on the list of concerns alongside longer-term issues such as sea level rise. It is the suddenness and ferocity of recent events that is alarming researchers, combined with the ill-defined threat of tipping points, by which aspects of heating would become unstoppable.