Sweden charges Greta Thunberg for blockading oil port

Greta Thunberg

Climate activist Greta Thunberg will appear in court in July charged with "disobeying the police" during a protest, Swedish prosecutors have said.

Ms Thunberg, 20, joined a group of young protesters blockading oil tankers at a port in Malmö in June. Police said she refused to leave when asked to.

She could face a six-month prison sentence or a fine.

A representative told BBC News that Ms Thunberg was not available for comment.

The group Ta Tillbaka Framtiden or Reclaim the Future blockaded the Malmö port for six days in June. Some protestors climbed on top of oil tankers, the group said.

"The climate crisis is already a matter of life and death for countless people," Ms Thunberg wrote on Instagram in June when she joined the protest.

"We choose to not be bystanders, and instead physically stop the fossil fuel infrastructure," she added.

"The prosecutor has filed charges against a young woman who on June 19 this year participated in a climate demonstration which, according to the prosecution, caused disruption to traffic in Malmö," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said.

"The woman has refused to obey the police command to leave the scene," it added.

It told BBC News that Ms Thunberg will appear in court on 24 July, along with three other protestors.

Irma Kjellström, 20, will also appear in court in July.

She told BBC News that police asked her to leave the port but she refused. She says she was then carried away by officers.

"We blocked the port in order to stop the use of fossil fuels that are killing innocent people," she said.

"The real crimes continue inside the gate of the port. We are not going to sit and wait while the fossil fuel industry takes our dreams away from us."

Asked if she's worried about the consequences of the trial, she replied: "I personally am more worried about the horrible harm the fossil fuel industry is doing to the world."

"I'm not going to stop while they are threatening the planet."

Greenhouse gases have been pumped into the atmosphere by activities such as burning fuels, which have heated up the Earth's atmosphere.

The world has warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial revolution about 200 years ago.

Climate activists around the world have targeted the fossil fuel industry, including the UK group Just Stop Oil which has been disrupting high-profile sports events this summer.

Much of the oil and gas industry says that continued production is necessary in order to meet global energy demands.

Cutting oil and gas production would be "dangerous and irresponsible", the head of energy company Shell told BBC News.

The International Energy Agency has said that there can be no new investments in oil, gas and coal now if governments are serious about the climate crisis.

UN chief António Guterres recently said investment in new oil and gas production was "economic and moral madness".

This week the world experienced its hottest day on record on Tuesday, topping 17C for the first time.

By Georgina Rannard

BBC