Sixteen-year old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has apparently suggested that climate protesters should stand up to the cops as some rules are apparently not meant to be upheld in certain situations.
As the Daily Mail notes, Greta delivered her message via social media after Extinction Rebellion protesters were evicted from Trafalgar Square by police after the authorities “banned 'any assembly' within London”.
Retweeting an Amnesty International’s condemnation of the ban, Greta claimed that “if standing up against the climate and ecological breakdown and for humanity is against the rules then the rules must be broken”.
If standing up against the climate and ecological breakdown and for humanity is against the rules then the rules must be broken.#ExtinctionRebellion https://t.co/i3S9gC0fpL
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 15, 2019
A considerable number of social media users seemed to agree with Greta’s message.
Great minds: "[he]...who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr
— Rob Rocklad (@london_rocklad) October 15, 2019
However inconvenient for the people in central London I agree rules must be broken. It’s our planet that’s under threat not the traffic lights 🚦 Time waits for no man #ClimateEmergency #ClimateAction #ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/TuEWAukS5H
— Lorrie Leaver (@lorrie_e) October 15, 2019
— Christopher Cartwright (@chriscartw83) October 15, 2019
I agree with you. What is illegal is not necessarily morally wrong (especially if you live in a society with an increasingly authoritarian government) and what is legal is not necessarily morally right 🙂✌️💪#ExtinctionRebellion
— Tristan Roch-Desparois #IStandWithGreta 🌹🌺🌎♿️ (@GretaTristan) October 15, 2019
News of this development, however, attracted a fair share of her detractors as well.
Why are we giving publicity to this child who is being used and manipulated and given scripts to read out in public, now she wants people to stand up to the Police. Think it's time Greta went back to school and stopped being used by adults who proabbaly cash in on her.
— Cyberoo (@Cyberoo2) October 16, 2019
So promoting Anarchy ??
— Tom Ross (@thegoalzone) October 16, 2019
Horrible small person,does she not understand the police have enough to do without her inciting violence
— Pauline Ward (@unitedgirl566) October 16, 2019
— Peter Stelfox Esq. (@StelfoxPeter) October 16, 2019
Extinction Rebellion started a two-week "international rebellion" on 7 October in an effort to push governments around the world to take action on the climate crisis. Activists have blocked streets and bridges in major cities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Italy, Germany, and elsewhere.
