- Greta Thunberg detained at Fossil Free London protest outside InterContinental Hotel.
- Protesters attempted to block hotel entrance, leading to Thunberg’s arrest.
- Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions under Section 14 of the Public Order Act.
Greta Thunberg was taken into custody during a Fossil Free London demonstration. The Swedish climate activist and fellow protesters gathered outside the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane, where oil industry leaders were meeting.
They attempted to obstruct access to the hotel entrance.
Fossil Free London shared on a social media platform, previously known as Twitter, that Greta Thunberg had been arrested.
Images circulated on social media showed the 20-year-old activist being escorted by police and placed in a marked van.
The Metropolitan Police explained that they had placed restrictions on the activists in accordance with Section 14 of the Public Order Act.
These measures aimed to prevent significant disruptions to the local community, hotel, and guests. Protesters were asked to relocate from the road to the sidewalk.
Non-compliance led to six arrests for highway obstruction, 14 for Section 14 breaches, and one for criminal damage.
At Hamilton Place near Park Lane, dozens of protesters blocked both ends, holding banners and colorful umbrellas adorned with eyes, while chanting slogans such as “oily money out” and “cancel the conference.” Some protesters ignited yellow and pink smoke flares.
A white fence cordoned off the hotel entrance to keep protesters at bay. Police assisted conference attendees in navigating through the crowd of vocal activists.
Fossil Free London organized the protest on the first day of the three-day Energy Intelligence Forum, formerly known as the Oil and Money conference, which featured leaders from companies like Shell and Total.
Speaking at the event, Greta Thunberg criticized politicians for negotiating with lobbyists from the destructive fossil fuel industry behind closed doors at the conference.
“People all over the world are suffering and dying from the consequences of the climate crisis caused by these industries who we allow to meet with our politicians and have privileged access to.”
She added: “That is why we have to take direct action to stop this and to kick oily money out of politics.”
Within the protest, Greenpeace activists descended from the hotel’s rooftop using ropes while displaying a banner that read, “Hold Big Oil Accountable.”
Maja Darlington, from Greenpeace UK, said: “Oil bosses are toasting each other in a luxury hotel and plotting how to make even larger profits, while millions struggle to rebuild after a summer of extreme weather.
“Big oil is profiting from humanity’s loss and those who have done the least to cause climate change are being forced to pay the price.”
The conference lineup comprises notable figures, including the CEOs of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and Norway’s Equinor, the German ambassador to the UK, and Graham Stuart, the UK’s Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero. Mr. Stuart has previously emphasized the importance of allowing oil and gas companies to maintain drilling operations in the North Sea to ensure energy security.
[embedpost slug= “tusks-opposition-gains-ground-in-pivotal-poland-election/”]
To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.
