LONDON – Climate activist Greta Thunberg was taken into custody by the police in London on Tuesday outside an oil and gas conference, where she and others protested, obstructing delegates from entering the venue. Thunberg, recognized globally for leading weekly protests at the Swedish parliament in 2018, has faced similar incidents in Sweden, Norway, and Germany this year. Video footage captured Thunberg poised as two police officers engaged in conversation with her, with one officer holding her arm. Following this, images showed her being searched and placed in a police van. The protest took place outside the Intercontinental Hotel in Mayfair, where the Energy Intelligence Forum hosted an assembly of industry leaders.
Before the police intervened to detain them, Thunberg and several others formed a human chain to obstruct access points, prompting a prior warning from law enforcement. When contacted by Reuters, the London Metropolitan Police did not immediately provide a statement on Thunberg’s situation but specified that 20 arrests were made in connection with the protest outside the hotel. During the demonstration, Thunberg remarked, “The world is drowning in fossil fuels. People all over the world are suffering and dying from the consequences of the climate crisis caused by these industries.”
Greenpeace, an environmental organization, reported that hundreds of protesters participated in the demonstration, hindering delegates from entering the venue. Additionally, two Greenpeace activists climbed the building and unveiled a massive banner at the entrance, which read ‘Make Big Oil Pay’. Inside the Intercontinental Hotel, two scheduled speakers, Torbjörn Törnqvist, CEO of trading house Gunvor, and Ben Luckock, head of oil trading at Trafigura, were unable to attend due to the climate protesters blocking the entrance.
In summary, climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by the police in London as she protested outside an oil and gas conference. Along with other demonstrators, Thunberg obstructed access for delegates, prompting law enforcement to take action. The protest occurred at the Intercontinental Hotel in Mayfair, where industry leaders were gathering. Thunberg’s global activism on climate change has faced similar encounters in Sweden, Norway, and Germany throughout this year. Greenpeace reported that the demonstration involved hundreds of participants, and two activists even scaled the building to display a large banner. Inside, two scheduled speakers were unable to attend due to the entrance being blocked.
