Climate activist Greta Thunberg has made her way to court to face trial for a public order offense stemming from a demonstration in central London last year. The 21-year-old Swedish

campaigner was arrested on October 17 during a protest near the InterContinental Hotel in Mayfair, where oil executives convened for the Energy Intelligence Forum.

Thunberg, along with two Fossil Free London (FFL) protesters and two Greenpeace activists, pleaded not guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in November. The charges relate to allegedly breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 by obstructing the entrance to the hotel.

Arriving at the court just after 9 am on Thursday, Thunberg is expected to undergo a two-day trial. She navigated through a crowd of media and environmental protesters, who displayed large yellow banners proclaiming, "Climate protest is not a crime," and signs questioning, "Who are the real criminals?"

Sporting a grey jacket, Thunberg smiled at photographers before entering the court premises.

Environmental protesters outside the court, holding banners and signs, expressed solidarity with the defendants. Maja Darlington, a campaigner at Greenpeace UK, voiced concerns about the government prioritizing oil industry profits over environmental protection. She stated, "The prosecution of Greta and other peaceful protesters reflects a Government that cares more about bolstering the profits of oil bosses than fighting for a livable future for all of us."

Joanna Warrington, an organizer with FFL, criticized the government for criminalizing peaceful climate activists while, in her words, "rolling out the red carpet for climate criminals in Mayfair hotels." Photo by Kushal Das, Wikimedia commons.