The Swedish climate activist was put on trial for protesting outside an oil and gas conference in London in October.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg was acquitted of a public order offense over a protest outside an oil and gas conference last year, after a London court judge ruled she had no case to answer.
District Judge John Law dismissed the case against the 21-year-old Swedish activist and four other activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.
He said police had attempted to impose “illegal” conditions during an environmental protest in the British capital last October when they were arrested.
Thunberg, who became a prominent activist around the world after organizing weekly protests outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, was arrested along with dozens of others outside a London hotel where the Energy Intelligence Forum was hosting industry leaders. of oil and gas.
She and four other people, aged between 19 and 59, were also charged with failing to comply with a police order to move their protest to a designated area near the conference.
Thunberg had pleaded not guilty in November to breaching a public order law, along with two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) campaign group and two Greenpeace activists.
He also joined a march last weekend in southern England to protest against the expansion of Farnborough airport, used mainly by private jets.
'Remember who is the real enemy'
Before Friday's court ruling, Thunberg expressed regret that she could not hold a climate strike in London.
“Even though we are the ones here, and climate, environmental and human rights activists around the world are being attacked for their activism, prosecuted, sometimes convicted and legally sanctioned for acting in accordance with science,” he said in a publication. on the social media platform X.
“We must remember who the real enemy is,” he added.
Week 285. Today we cannot hold a climate strike. I am one of five activists on trial in London for peacefully protesting against an oil conference in October. The demonstration aimed to highlight the terrible consequences of the daily business of fossil corporations.
🧵 pic.twitter.com/hKJmhTK2WO– Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) February 2, 2024
Addressing the five defendants on Friday, Law said: “You are all found innocent of this offence.”
In his ruling, he also highlighted that the conditions imposed on protesters were “so confusing that they are illegal,” meaning “anyone who did not comply with them was not actually committing a crime.”
Maja Darlington, a Greenpeace campaigner in the UK, hailed Friday's verdict as “a victory for the right to protest.”
He told the AFP news agency that “it is ridiculous that more and more climate activists are finding themselves in court for peacefully exercising their right to protest, while fossil fuel giants like Shell are allowed to make billions in profits.” selling fossil fuels that destroy the climate. .”
Thunberg and her four co-defendants hugged each other before leaving the court.
