Greta Thunberg arrested in London for supporting activists in solidarity with Palestine
The young Swedish woman has spoken out in favor of the Palestine Action group, which was outlawed for carrying out actions against arms factories that export weapons to Israel.
BarcelonaActivist Greta Thunberg was arrested Tuesday in London for demonstrating in support of several activists from the Palestine Action organization who have been on hunger strike in prison for 50 days. Thunberg was arrested, according to police, under anti-terrorism legislation for carrying a sign that read, "I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide." The Swedish activist was arrested during a protest outside the Aspen Insurance building, which insures Elbit Systems, an Israeli-owned arms manufacturer and one of the country's main weapons producers. During the protest, in which two demonstrators sprayed red paint on the insurance company's building, Thunberg and the other protesters were supporting pro-Palestinian activists on hunger strike to demand the closure of Elbit.
The hunger strikers, who have been in pretrial detention for over a year, are part of Palestine Action, an organization that was classified as "terrorist" by the British government in July of this year after several of its members entered a military base in Oxfordshire and damaged nine aircraft, in addition to carrying out an attack on a factory. With the hunger strike, they are also demanding that the British government lift the ban.
When it was declared a terrorist organization, Palestine Action received the support of hundreds of people, including many elderly people, who demonstrated in London on August 9. That day, the police arrested more than 500 people, an action that Amnesty International described as a "violation" of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Furthermore, the organization has also had the support of Irish writer Sally Rooneywho also announced this summer that she would donate her earnings from the BBC and book sales to fund the organization.
This is not the first time Thunberg has publicly shown support for the Palestinian cause. The Swedish activist has long participated in various actions supporting the Palestinian people and protests against the state of Israel. In fact, She was one of the most visible faces of the Gaza Flotilla, the humanitarian initiative that attempted to break Israel's humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip.