Copenhagen: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by Danish police on Wednesday during a protest in Copenhagen against the war in Gaza and Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. The demonstration was organized by a pro-Palestinian student group, and a spokesperson for the organizers confirmed Thunberg’s detention.
Danish media later reported that Thunberg was released from detention, with the daily Ekstra Bladet publishing video footage showing her exiting a police station. According to a police spokesperson, six individuals were detained at Copenhagen University after approximately 20 people blocked the entrance to a building, with three of them entering the premises. The spokesperson did not comment on individual detainees.
Thunberg, who is globally recognized for her activism against climate change, has increasingly voiced support for the Palestinian cause. In May, she stated that protests against Israel’s actions “should be everywhere.”
Video footage posted by Students Against the Occupation, a pro-Palestinian student group, captured the moment when uniformed police officers led Thunberg and other detainees into a police van. The detainees were either handcuffed or had their hands tied behind their backs.
During the protest, Thunberg was seen wearing a scarf with the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh pattern, a symbol commonly used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Kristian Cedervall Lauta, the prorector of education at Copenhagen University, mentioned in an email that the university might take disciplinary action against enrolled students who participated in the protest. However, Thunberg is not a student at the university.
