Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by police alongside a group of protesters seeking to disrupt a major oil industry conference. Image: CC-BY-4.0 © European Union 2020 – Source: EP
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by police in London alongside a group of protesters seeking to disrupt a major oil and gas industry conference.
Held in the luxury InterContinental Hotel, the Energy Intelligence Forum spans three days and will host speakers including executives from Shell, Aramco and Equinor, and the UK’s energy security minister.
Those opposed to the conference have labelled it the “oily money conference” in reference to its previous name, the Oil & Money conference.
The protests were organised by Fossil Free London and joined by other activists and environmental groups to block access to the forum and disrupt the event, holding signs and chanting the slogan “oily money out.”
Robin Wells, director of Fossil Free London, described the conference as an event which “bigwigs are schmoozing politicians, including our elected representatives”.
“It’s been going on for years and we think it shouldn’t any more, because these events are just a constant opportunity for the oil industry to lobby our politicians and ensure they are able to continue to corrupt our political processes,” said Wells.
Conference organisers sent text messages to delegates warning them not to cross the protest line and enter the hotel without police assistance.
A statement posted on social media by London’s Metropolitan Police said that there were “interventions by officers to enable members of the public safe access in and out of the venue”.
Police said they spoke with protesters and urged them to allow people to access the hotel safely, but some refused.
Six were arrested on suspicion of obstructing a highway, one on suspicion of criminal damage, and 14 others for breaching protest conditions.
No charges have been issued at this time.
Joanna Warrington of Fossil Free London attended the demonstration and said that Thunberg was “singled out” by police.
“We were linking arms when the police forced their way in and singled out Greta. She was dragged down the street at speed to a police van where they refused to say where she was being taken,” said Warrington.
Prior to police intervention, Thunberg delivered a speech to protesters and reporters in attendance.
“We cannot let this continue. The elite of the oil and money conference, they have no intention of transition,” she said.
“We have no other option but to put our bodies outside this conference and to physically disrupt. And we have to do that every time, we have to continue showing them that they are not going to get away with this.”
Both the conference and further protests are scheduled to continue as planned.
