GPS News
CLIMATE SCIENCE
UK judge dismisses Greta Thunberg protest case
UK judge dismisses Greta Thunberg protest case
By Marie HEUCLIN
London (AFP) Feb 2, 2024

A London court threw out a public order case on Friday against climate activist Greta Thunberg and four other protesters, with the judge criticising "unlawful" conditions imposed by police when they were arrested.

District judge John Law dismissed the cases against the 21-year-old Swedish campaigner and the four other activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He ruled that police deployed in the British capital in October at an environmental protest had attempted to impose "unlawful" conditions before officers arrested dozens of demonstrators.

Thunberg, a global figure in the fight against climate change, was among dozens held for disrupting access to the Energy Intelligence Forum, a major oil and gas conference attended by companies at a luxury hotel.

She had pleaded not guilty in November to breaching a public order law, alongside two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) campaign group and two Greenpeace activists.

In his ruling, Law said the conditions imposed on the demonstrators were "so unclear that it is unlawful", which meant "anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offence".

Thunberg and the other defendants had faced a maximum fine of GBP2,500 ($3,177) if convicted.

Her lawyer, Raj Chada, said the case against them had been "rightly dismissed", arguing that the police stipulations "disproportionately interfered with our client's rights to free speech".

He added: "The government should stop prosecuting peaceful protesters and instead find ways to tackle the climate crisis."

- 'Ridiculous' -

Christofer Kebbon, one of the other defendants from FFL, told reporters that the five "shouldn't be here in court".

He condemned "the climate criminals who are continuing their business as usual and destroying this planet".

Thunberg, who came to worldwide attention as a 15-year-old by staging school strikes in her native Sweden, regularly takes part in climate change-related demonstrations.

She was fined in October for blocking the port of Malmo in Sweden, a few months after police forcibly removed her during a demonstration against the use of coal in Germany.

She also joined a march last weekend in southern England to protest against the expansion of Farnborough airport, which is mainly used by private jets.

Demonstrators had greeted the October forum participants with cries of "shame on you!".

Some carried placards reading "Stop Rosebank", a reference to a controversial new North Sea oil field the British government authorised in September.

Police said officers had arrested Thunberg for failing to adhere to an order not to block the street where the rally was taking place.

Greenpeace UK campaigner Maja Darlington hailed Friday's verdict as "a victory for the right to protest".

She added: "It is ridiculous that more and more climate activists are finding themselves in court for peacefully exercising their right to protest, while fossil fuel giants like Shell are allowed to reap billions in profits from selling climate-wrecking fossil fuels."

jj/phz/gil

Shell

Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Activists spray paint on Rome fountain in circus animal protest
Rome (AFP) Feb 1, 2024
Two activists from Italian campaign group Animal Rebellion threw paint Thursday over the lion fountain in Rome's iconic Piazza del Popolo, to protest against the presence of animals in circuses. They used what they said was washable yellow and red paint, before putting up a banner saying: "End animals in circuses." Tourists in the historic city centre square took photos with their phones before cleaners arrived to wash off the paint, some of which dripped into the water. In a statement, the ... read more

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Tractor army gathers at the gates of Rome as EU confronts a farming minefield

Caterpillar profits jump despite weakness in China

French govt under fire for putting pesticide phase-out on hold

EU walks farming minefield with new climate goals

CLIMATE SCIENCE
New photon-based quantum computing method offers built-in error correction

Redwire targets global semiconductor market with in-space manufacturing initiative

Sivers Semiconductors and Thorium Space set to enhance satellite capabilities

Sivers Semiconductors Expands Into High-Frequency SATCOM with ESA-Funded Project

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Revolutionizing military aircraft maintenance: Northrop Grumman's new digital solution

Greek PM hails US approval of F-35 fighter jet sale

First Boeing 737 MAX delivered to China since 2019 lands in Guangzhou

Washington approves sale of F-16 warplanes to Turkey

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Chinese EV giant BYD expects record net profit for 2023

Australia to set fuel efficiency standards after decades of debate

Parisians vote in anti-SUV parking price referendum

China's BYD says Hungary factory to start making cars in 3 years

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Markets mixed after Wall St losses, Shanghai and Hong Kong rally

China hands former top bank boss suspended death sentence for bribery

Hong Kong court orders liquidation of China's Evergrande

Asian equity rally fades despite Wall St records sparked by US data

CLIMATE SCIENCE
New mayor hopes trees will cool Athens down

China-funded nickel hub stoking deforestation on Indonesia island: report

Pacific kelp forests are far older that we thought

Soil fungi may help explain the global gradient in forest diversity

CLIMATE SCIENCE
The Future of Weather Forecasts: Nearing the Natural Limit of Predictability

Beyond Gravity supports NASA in enhancing climate data accuracy with PACE satellite

Good news? Groundhog predicts early spring

BlackSky advances to final phase in IARPA's SMART Program to enhance Broad Area Search

CLIMATE SCIENCE
MIT.nano equipment to accelerate innovation in "tough tech" sectors

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.