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Greta Thunberg
British police detained climate activist Greta Thunberg during a pro-Palestine protest in central London. The arrest, under anti-terrorism legislation, was related to a poster that referred to a banned group.
British police detained Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday during a pro-Palestine protest in Londonaccording to UK-based campaign group Defend Our Juries.
The group claimed that Thunberg was detained under the Anti-Terrorism Law after displaying a poster declaring support for prisoners linked to Palestine Action, an organization that the British Government considers a terrorist group.
Why was Greta Thunberg arrested?
A City of London Police spokesman said two people had previously been detained for having threw red paint onto a building.
“Shortly afterwards, a 22-year-old woman also arrived at the scene,” the police spokesperson said in a statement. “She was arrested for displaying an item [neste caso, um cartaz] in support of a banned organization [neste caso, a Ação Palestiniana]contrary to article 13 of the Terrorism Law of 2000.”
Palestinian activist group Prisoners for Palestine said Thunberg was holding a sign with the words “I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.”
Several experts, including those commissioned by a UN body, stated that the Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel vehemently denies the accusation.
Thunberg has previously spoken out about the hunger strikers, who are prisoners awaiting trial after demonstrating support for Palestinian Action.
The group Defend Our Juries said Tuesday’s protest targeted a building used by an insurance company that, according to the group, provides services to the British branch of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.
The group claims to exist to highlight the weakening of the legal process for people who act according to your conscience. In particular, it supported the actions of climate activists Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain, as well as those protesting the Palestine Action ban.
Why is the Palestine Action group banned?
In June 2025, the UK Home Office announced plans to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organizationafter activists invaded an Air Force base.
The group vandalized two Royal Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT refueling aircraft, spraying red paint on their engines and causing damage that, according to the government, went beyond a protest and represented a serious risk to national security.
The designation of a terrorist organization makes it a crime to support the group, display its symbols or express support for it in public.
The decision was controversial and contested by civil rights groups, who argue that the group’s actions constitute criminal damagenot terrorism.
