Georgina Ranard
Climate and Science Reporter
Activist Greta Thunberg will appear in court in her country this July, accused of “disobeying the police” during a protest, according to Swedish prosecutors.
Thunberg, 20, joined a group of young protesters blocking oil tankers at a port in Malmö, Sweden, in June. Police said he refused to leave when asked.
You could face a six-month prison sentence or a fine.
A representative for the activist told BBC News that Thunberg was not available for comment.
The group Ta Tillbaka Framtiden (“Take Back the Future”) blocked the port of Malmö for six days in June. Some protesters climbed on top of the tankers, according to this group.
“The climate crisis is already a matter of life and death for countless people,” Thunberg wrote on her Instagram account last month when she joined the protest.
“We choose not to be bystanders and instead physically stop fossil fuel infrastructure,” he added.
“The prosecutor has brought charges against a young woman who on June 19 this year participated in a climate demonstration and who, according to the prosecution, caused a traffic disruption in Malmö,” the Swedish prosecutor said.
“The woman refused to obey the police order to leave the place,” he added.
BBC News has learned that Thunberg will appear in court on July 24 along with three other protesters.
Irma Kjellström, another 20-year-old activist, will also appear in court for this incident.
In her case, Kjellström told BBC News that the police asked her to leave the port, but she refused. She tells that she was then dragged away by the officers.
“We blocked the port to stop the use of fossil fuels that are killing innocent people,” he said.
“True crimes continue behind closed doors in this place. We are not going to sit back and wait while the fossil fuel industry takes away our dreams,” she maintained.
When asked if she was worried about the consequences of the trial, she replied: “Personally, I am more concerned about the horrible damage that the fossil fuel industry is doing to the world. I will not stop while they threaten the planet.”
Fossil fuels
The emission of greenhouse gases is due to activities such as the fuel burningwhich have warmed the atmosphere.
The world has warmed by around 1.1°C since the industrial revolution some 200 years ago.
Climate activists around the world have targeted the fossil fuel industry, including Britain’s Just Stop Oil group, which has been disrupting high-profile sporting events this summer.
Much of the oil and gas industry says that continued production is necessary to meet global energy demands.
Cutting oil and gas production would be “dangerous and irresponsible,” the head of energy company Shell told BBC News.
The International Energy Agency has declared that there can now be no new investment in oil, gas and coal if governments take the climate crisis seriously.
UN chief António Guterres recently claimed that investing in new oil and gas developments is “economic and moral folly”.
This week, the world experienced its hottest day on record on Tuesday, surpassing 17C for the first time.
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See original article on BBC