Greta Thunberg fined in Stockholm for parliament blockade
8 May 2024 18:58
Climate activist Greta Thunberg was fined on Wednesday by a court in Stockholm for blocking the entrance to the Swedish parliament twice, along with other activists, on March 12 and 14. She cited the "alarming climate situation" for her actions.
During the trial, Greta Thunberg acknowledged that she did not comply with police orders. However, she denied committing a crime.
Greta Thunberg convicted for blocking entrance to parliament
The court noted that the activists' actions did not prevent parliamentarians from doing their work, as they could use other entrances in the building.
However, the blockade sparked a debate in Sweden over whether civil disobedience is justified when ecologists feel democratic methods are ineffective in influencing politicians' decisions. Commentators mentioned that Greta Thunberg, an adult and student at Stockholm University, could alternatively form a party or run in elections with one of the existing groups.
Greta Thunberg, the initiator of the School Strikes for Climate on Fridays, was detained in the Netherlands at the beginning of April after she and other activists blocked a road. Previously, she had been fined for obstructing access to an oil port in Malmö.
Greta Thunberg is a laureate of the "alternative Nobel"
In September 2019, Greta Thunberg received the Right Livelihood Award, the "Alternative Nobel". She was honoured alongside human rights activist Aminatou Haidar from Western Sahara, Chinese lawyer Guo Jianmei, and Amazon forest defender Davi Kopenawa.
