Images of climate alarmist Greta Thunberg’s supposed arrest by German police circulated widely after the Tuesday incident, prompting some to contemplate her apparent bravery in the face of statist force.
Raw footage of the incident and additional scrutiny have together revealed that the 20-year-old Swedish activist, like her actor father, has a knack for the theatrical. Not only was Thunberg’s arrest reportedly staged, it wasn’t an arrest at all.
What’s the background?
Climate alarmists flocked to a condemned western German village Tuesday for an anti-labor protest, denouncing a job-creating coal mine expansion.
Hamstrung by domestic anti-oil policies and unable to count on renewables, Europe ended up overly reliant on Russian energy. As Russia began to cut off the continent during its war on Ukraine, countries like Germany — which previously obtained roughly 30% of its supply from Russia — were forced to return to using coal.
While climate alarmism had a hand in driving Germany’s desperate need for coal, Thunberg and others nevertheless voiced their opposition to the demolition of the abandoned village of Luetzerath, required for the expansion of the Garzweiler 2 mine.
Though condemned and owned by the mine, Luetzerath has recently become an ecosocialist squat for leftist militants and climate extremists.
Leftist extremists from the condemned village can be seen here attacking journalists:
Police, who had been trying to prevent protesters from getting injured in the open-pit mine, were reportedly pelted with incendiary devices. Over 70 officers were injured.
Climate alarmists and other anti-labor protesters also reportedly damaged police patrol cars.
Reuters initially reported that Greta Thunberg, who had trespassed to as far as the edge of the mine, had been arrested.
Police told Reuters that “Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge [of the mine]. However, she was then stopped and carried by us with this group out of the immediate danger area to establish their identity.”
After police rescued the dramatist’s daughter, Thunberg was reportedly “held by one arm at a spot further away from the edge of the mine where she was previously sat with the group.”
Thunberg, ostensibly wearing a jacket and bag made with petroleum products, told the Associated Press that “what everyone does matters. … And if one of the largest polluters, like Germany, and one of the biggest historical emitters of CO2 is doing something like this, then of course it affects more or less everyone — especially those most bearing the brunt of the climate crisis.”
Some of Thunberg’s fans saw the initial images, apparently believing that she had been arrested doing something that mattered.
NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus tweeted, “Greta’s first arrest. It’s time for many more of us to stand up and risk arrest for the sake of a livable planet. It will turn the tide.”
Climate activist Mike Hudema tweeted with similar urgency, “Greta Thunberg has been detained in Germany for protesting the expantion [sic] of a coal mine despite the government claiming it will exit coal by 2030. The coal expansion betrays ‘present and future generations.’ There is no time to wait.”
Frown for the cameras
The Guardian reported that, contrary to previous claims, Thunberg was briefly detained, not arrested.
The Hill noted that Thunberg, who had been trespassing, was simply escorted along with other climate alarmists away from the coal mine site on private property.
Snopes all but conceded it was nothing more than a photo op, writing that “activists often plan such sit-ins and protests as media events to publicize their cause, in full knowledge that police and media will be present — which is to say that they are, in a sense, ‘staged.'”
A video has emerged of Thunberg chuckling away with her supposed captors.
The footage shows Thunberg and her police escorts striking different poses for the cameramen and videographers in their orbit, laughing sporadically.
After the photo op, the police escorted the Swedish trespasser off the private property.
Sky News host Chris Kenny said the photo op was “Just farcical, isn’t it? Deceptive too – it’s theatre, climate theatre, and most media just goes along with the charade.”
Townhall editor Guy Benson noted that Thunberg’s photo op with German police had the “Same energy” as when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-N.Y.) pretended to be handcuffed when being escorted from a pro-abortion protest at the U.S. Capitol.
At the time of the incident, Thunberg said, “Germany is really embarrassing itself right now. … I think it’s absolutely absurd that this is happening the year 2023.”
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