23.12.2025 17:06
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained while showing support for the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, which has been banned in the UK due to its actions against companies working with Israel. Thunberg was arrested along with two others for holding a banner that read, "I support the prisoners of Palestine Action. I am against genocide."
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained during a support demonstration for the Palestine Action group, known for its pro-Palestinian actions in England. Thunberg held a banner to express the demands of imprisoned Palestinian activists and to support prisoners on hunger strike. During the protest, police arrested Thunberg along with two activists who sprayed red paint on the office.
RED PAINTED PROTEST
The action supported by Thunberg was organized by the Prisoners for Palestine platform. The platform protested in front of the London office of Aspen Insurance, which provides insurance support to the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. The activists sprayed red paint on the entrance of the building and staged a sit-in to support Palestine Action.
POLICE INTERVENTION
During the protest held in the historic City area of London, Thunberg and two activists who sprayed red paint on the office were also detained. Shared videos showed that Thunberg's banner was taken by the police and that she responded "No" to the question, "Do you want to get up?"
In a statement from the social media account of Prisoners for Palestine, it was stated, "Greta Thunberg was detained under the Terrorism Act for holding a banner that said, 'I support Palestine Action prisoners. I am against genocide.'
DEMANDS OF PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE
Eight detained activists from the Palestine Action group, which was banned in July, had started a hunger strike demanding better prison conditions and the lifting of the ban. Qesser Zuhrah, who had been on hunger strike for 51 days, ended his action, while Amy Gardiner-Gibson continues her strike despite being hospitalized three times. A total of three prisoners ended their strike for health reasons, while the requests of the remaining five prisoners' representatives to meet with government officials have not yet been addressed.
GOVERNMENT STATEMENT
William James Timpson, the Minister of State responsible for Prisons, Probation, and Reducing Reoffending, stated that hunger strikes are not a new situation. Timpson noted that an average of 200 prisoners go on hunger strike each year in England and rejected claims regarding prison conditions. The minister emphasized that meetings between ministers and prisoner representatives would be illegal, stating, "Ministers will not meet with prisoner representatives. We have a justice system based on the principle of separation of powers. An independent judiciary is also a cornerstone of this system. Meeting with prisoner representatives during an ongoing trial would be illegal and wrong."