1 February 2024, 13:56 GMTUpdated 2 hours agoImage source, NEIL HALL/EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockImage caption, Greta Thunberg arrived at court on Thursday smiling as she made her way past photographersClimate activist Greta Thunberg has spoken out in support of fellow climate activists currently facing prosecution in court, emphasizing the importance of identifying the true enemy. The 21-year-old appeared in Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being arrested during a demonstration near the InterContinental Hotel in Mayfair on 17 October while oil executives were meeting inside for the Energy Intelligence Forum. She, along with two Fossil Free London protesters and two Greenpeace activists, denied breaching the Public Order Act 1986 by blocking the entrance to the hotel.Ms Thunberg and her co-defendants delivered a statement outside the court, highlighting the global prosecution of climate, environmental, and human rights activists who are advocating for scientific action. She stressed the need to recognize who the real adversary is and the purpose of defending and protecting the environment, human rights, and the laws meant to uphold these principles.”Final warning”During the court hearing, it was revealed that Thunberg had received a “final warning” from police before her arrest. Supt Andrew Cox, the most senior Metropolitan Police officer present at the time, stated that despite repeated requests from the police, the protesters had refused to move, leading to access issues for both the public and those inside the hotel. Consequently, a section 14 condition was imposed, allowing the protest to continue on the pavement south of the hotel. Despite being warned by an officer that failure to comply would result in arrest, Thunberg chose to remain where she was and was subsequently arrested.Speaking prior to the court appearance, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, expressed support for Thunberg’s peaceful climate protests and criticized the charges against her and the other activists, citing concerns about the policing of protests in the UK.
