Greta Thunberg Arrested at London Oil Protest
Photo Courtesy: Fossil Free London - Twitter
Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested whilst protesting at an oil conference in Mayfair. The 20-year-old was charged with a public order offence after the incident at the Energy Intelligence Forum – a conference for oil and gas firms. She was accused of breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act, and will go to trial on the 15th November.
The Energy Intelligence Forum – known colloquially as the ‘Oscars of Oil’ – was formerly called the ‘Oil and Money Conference’, and is a space for top executives, financiers, and politicians to discuss issues within the industry. Hosted by news and data service Energy Intelligence, the 3-day conference features speakers from ministers, CEOs, partners, chairmen and professors from within the energy and financial sector.
The official website states that the central question is: ‘How does a divided world power the planet in a way that is reliable, affordable and clean?’. Yet, protesters such as Thunberg believe those within the industry are not doing enough to curb the effects of climate change, and instead are solely concerned with profit. During a speech at the protest, Thunberg said "Behind these closed doors at the Oil and Money conference, spineless politicians are making deals and compromises with lobbyists from destructive industries”.
Thunberg was protesting alongside Fossil Fuel London, as part of their Oily Money Out campaign, which aims to shut down the conference. Their website states that ‘the fossil fuel industry sits at the polluted heart of the climate emergency’; their goal being to eradicate the influence the fossil fuel industry has on political conferences such as COP28. 26 protesters, including Thunberg, were charged after refusing to move off the road, and for obstructing the highway.
The protest happened just a week after Just Stop Oil spray-painted university buildings across England orange, in order to protest new oil and gas proposals from the UK government. Numerous students were arrested for ‘suspicion of criminal damage’, suggesting a growing conflict between UK police and climate activists.