EntertainmentGreta Thunberg and co-defendants acquitted in London court over hotel protest charges

Greta Thunberg and co‑defendants acquitted in London court over hotel protest charges

The Swedish youth activist along with four others were charged with impeding access to a hotel where a conference involving representatives from the gas and oil industry was taking place. A verdict in this case was announced on Friday, February 2, by the Magistrate's Court in the Westminster borough of London. Greta Thunberg was acquitted of the charges brought against her.

Greta Thunberg in court
Greta Thunberg in court
Images source: © Instagram | Instagram - Greta Thunberg

Feb 3, 2024 | updated: 4:25 AM EST, March 7, 2024

Greta Thunberg acquitted of charges

John Law, the presiding judge in Greta Thunberg's case, declared "significant gaps in the evidence" presented against the environmental activist and her four co-defendants. Note that the activist, alongside 26 others, was arrested on October 17, 2023.

The events unfolded outside the London-based InterContinental London Park Lane hotel. At the time, it was hosting the annual conference for the oil and gas sector, known as the Energy Intelligence Forum. Greta and other demonstrators barred entry to the hotel and disregarded police orders to vacate the street.

In justifying the acquittal, Judge Law posited that the police could have adopted less restrictive measures. He expressed the notion that the officers failed to specify exactly where the protesters outside the hotel should have relocated. Moreover, the dispersal order issued "lacked such clarity that it did not comply with the law." Thus, the judge deduced those who defied it did not violate any law.

Greta Thunberg before court
Greta Thunberg before court© Instagram | Instagram - Greta Thunberg
Related content
© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.