Greta Thunberg cleared of public order charge over London climate demo

LONDON — A court has thrown out a public order charge against climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, saying police attempted to impose unlawful conditions on the protest at which she was arrested.

The Swedish campaigner was detained by police in London last October after joining protesters to demonstrate against the Energy Intelligence Forum, an annual meeting of energy companies. The meeting included executives of some of the largest oil and gas companies, as well as politicians.

In a ruling on Friday at Westminster Magistrates' Court, District Judge John Lawson said conditions imposed on the protesters were "so unclear that it is unlawful,” meaning that "anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offence."

Activists at the October protest, including Thunberg, attempted to block the entrance to the meeting at London’s InterContinental Park Lane Hotel. 

Thunberg warned that “the world is drowning in fossil fuels” before being escorted away from the event by police.

She told journalists before her arrest that “spineless politicians” were gathering at the meeting with fossil fuel lobbyists, according to a report in the Guardian.

It's not the first time Thunberg has had a brush with the law over her protesting. In 2023 she was removed by police along with other protesters as they demonstrated against the razing of the German village of Lützerath for the expansion of a coal mine.

Abby Wallace contributed reporting.