Greta Thunberg Arrested During Palestine Protest at Danish University

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 21, was detained in Denmark during a protest advocating for Palestinian rights.

Thunberg participated in the occupation of a University of Copenhagen building, joining students who demanded the institution cut ties with Israeli universities.

Thunberg shared a video on Instagram showing police entering the building with force, using a battering ram and carrying assault rifles.

She captioned the footage, “Police have been called, violently entered the building with a ram wearing assault rifles. They are evicting everyone as we speak.”

A police spokesperson confirmed that six people were arrested in connection with the protest, stating, “They are suspected of forcing their way into the building and blocking the entrance.”

The protest was organized by “Students against Occupation,” a campaign group demanding the university impose an academic boycott on Israel.

The group released a statement saying, “While the situation in Palestine only gets worse, the University of Copenhagen continues cooperation with academic institutions in Israel. We are now occupying the university’s central administration with one demand: academic boycott.”

This is not the first time Thunberg has faced arrest this year. In April, Dutch police removed her from an Extinction Rebellion protest in The Hague. She was also acquitted earlier this year in the UK after being charged with a public order offense during a protest against an energy conference in London.

The judge in that case criticised the police’s handling of the protest, ultimately dismissing the charges.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which escalated following Hamas’s attack on October 7 that left 1,200 people dead and 250 taken hostage, has led to widespread protests globally.

Over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s military operations in Gaza, sparking worldwide calls for a ceasefire and resulting in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at universities and public spaces.

In response to the ongoing conflict, the UK government announced this week that it would suspend some arms exports to Israel pending a review of the country’s compliance with international law.