Greta Thunberg arrested in London as oil chiefs urged to stop funding politics
Climate activists including Greta Thunberg have been arrested after they gathered outside a central London hotel where oil executives are meeting to demand they remove their money from national politics.
They say that fossil fuel companies are deliberately slowing the global energy transition to renewables in order to make more profit, highlighting how this year’s UN climate conference president is also the CEO of an oil company.
Organised by the group Fossil Free London, the protesters attempted to block access to the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane by sitting and standing on the pavement by the entrance.
Five people were arrested on suspicion of obstructing a highway and taken into custody, the Metropolitan Police said.
A statement said: “Officers have been on scene since this morning with a group of protesters in the road outside a hotel in Park Lane, W1.
“We have had continued discussions with the protesters and there have been interventions by officers to enable members of the public safe access in and out of the venue. Six people were arrested for obstruction of the highway.
“Officers on scene have kept this under constant review and at 1232 imposed conditions on the group under section 14 of the Public Order Act given to prevent serious disruption to the community, hotel and guests.
“Officers asked the protesters to move from the road onto the pavement, which would enable them to continue with their demonstration without breaching the conditions.
“A number of protesters failed to do so and we have now made a further 14 arrests for section 14 of the public order act and a further one for criminal damage.
Officers remain on scene.”
Greta Thunberg was detained by police. Images on social media showed the 20-year-old Swedish activist being led away by police officers and placed in the back of a marked van.
Fossil Free London, who organised the protest outside the InterContinental London hotel in Park Lane, posted on X: “Breaking- Greta Thunberg has just been arrested.”
The activists said they will continue their actions throughout the planned Energy Intelligence Forum, which is due to last over the following three days.
Addressing journalists outside the hotel, Miss Thunberg said: “The world is drowning in fossil fuels. Our hopes and dreams and lives are being washed away by a flood of greenwashing and lies.
“It has been clear for decades that the fossil fuel industries were well aware of the consequences of their business models, and yet, they have done nothing.
“The opposite – they have actively delayed, distracted and denied the causes of the climate crisis and spread doubts about their own engagement in it.”
Dozens of protesters blocked Hamilton Place at both ends with banners and pink umbrellas with eyes painted on, shouting “oily money out” and “cancel the conference”, while others lit yellow and pink smoke flares.
A white fence surrounded the hotel entrance keeping protesters out while police smuggled conference attendees through the crowd of chanting activists and a samba band.
Miss Thunberg said: “We cannot let this continue. The elite of the oil and money conference, they have no intention of transition.
“Their plan is to continue this destructive search of profits. That is why we have to take direct action to stop this and to kick oil money out of politics.
“We have no other option but to put our bodies outside this conference and to physically disrupt. And we have to do that every time, we have to continue showing them that they are not going to get away with this.”
During the demonstration, activists from Greenpeace abseiled down from the roof of the hotel to unfurl a banner reading “make big oil pay”, while a strong wind billowed the message and the protesters against the side of the building.
Maja Darlington, a campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “Oil bosses are toasting each other in a luxury hotel and plotting how to make even larger profits, while millions struggle to rebuild after a summer of extreme weather.
“Big oil is profiting from humanity’s loss and those who have done the least to cause climate change are being forced to pay the price.”
Speakers at the conference include the chief executives of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and Norway’s Equinor, the German ambassador to the UK and Graham Stuart, UK energy security and net zero minister.
Mr Stuart has previously said that allowing oil and gas companies to continue drilling the North Sea for resources is necessary for energy security.
Protesters and energy analysts have said any new fossil fuel projects, such as Rosebank which was recently granted consent to begin operations, would have no immediate effect on consumer bills and would mostly be sold abroad.
Lauren McDonald, a campaigner against Rosebank, said: “The only reason that they continue to pursue this is for profit, there is no justification for this.
“So as we head into another round of climate talks, we are demanding that Norway – that wealthy happy country that is powered by green energy at home – we are demanding that Norway stops putting the brakes on other countries’ energy transitions.
“We are demanding that Norway stops profiteering while others around the world are struggling to pay their bills, struggling to live and struggling to survive in our destabilising climate.”
Press Association – Danny Halpin