Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg was taken into custody by London law enforcement on Tuesday during a demonstration expressing solidarity with Palestine. The arrest occurred amid a coordinated protest organized by the UK-based advocacy organization Prisoners for Palestine.
According to the campaign group, Thunberg faced detention under the Terrorism Act for publicly displaying a placard stating: ‘I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.’ This development follows the British government’s official designation of Palestine Action as a prohibited terrorist organization.
A City of London police representative confirmed that two additional individuals were apprehended for allegedly throwing red paint on a building facade. The spokesperson further noted that a 22-year-old woman subsequently arrived at the location and was arrested for exhibiting signage endorsing a proscribed organization, though authorities did not explicitly identify Thunberg in their statement.
Prisoners for Palestine clarified that the targeted building houses an insurance provider allegedly facilitating services for the British subsidiary of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. The insurance company has not issued an immediate response to media inquiries regarding these allegations.
The 22-year-old climate activist gained international recognition through her weekly solitary protests outside Sweden’s parliament in 2018, sparking the global Youth Strike for Climate movement. This incident marks Thunberg’s latest encounter with law enforcement, following previous detentions during environmental and humanitarian demonstrations.
In a prior legal proceeding, British judiciary authorities exonerated Thunberg of public order violations, determining that police had overstepped their authority during her arrest at a London climate protest. More recently, in October, Israeli authorities expelled Thunberg after detaining her alongside 478 activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy attempting to deliver aid supplies to Gaza. Israeli officials maintain consistent denial of genocide allegations.