Greta Thunberg joins protesters from Fossil Free London outside the InterContinental in central London, to demonstrate ahead of the Energy Intelligence Forum, a gathering between Shell, Total, Equinor, Saudi Aramco, and other oil giants. Picture date: Tuesday October 17, 2023.
CLIMATE activists returned to a London hotel hosting oil and gas bosses today to protest against the “indefensible” Rosebank oil field – leading to the arrest of Greta Thunberg.
The 20-year-old activist took part in the protest outside the InterContinental Hotel in Mayfair, London, on Tuesday where oil and gas bosses met for the Energy Intelligence Forum.
She was detained for public disorder, along with 25 other protesters, after the Met Police imposed conditions to “prevent disruption to the public” under the Public Order Act.
The protesters were released at 2am from Wandsworth police station under conditions not to enter Westminster until their trial.
Stop Rosebank and Fossil Free London protesters gathered outside the hotel for a second day yesterday to greet Anders Opedal, CEO of the Norwegian state-backed oil giant Equinor — which is developing the Rosebank site.
Mr Opedal was expected to address the event later in the day.
Rosebank, Britain’s biggest undeveloped oil and gas field, was given the green light by the government last month.
Campaigners believe the decision to be unlawful and have vowed to take legal action.
It is estimated that burning Rosebank’s reserves would produce more than 200 million tonnes of CO2, which would be more than the combined annual emissions of all 28 low-income countries in the world.
Fossil Free London organiser Pascal Hartig said: “This past year we have lived through a crisis of inequality, where our energy bills have spiralled out of control to fund the record-breaking profits of the fossil fuel industry.
“The government is asking for more of the same by approving the Rosebank oil field for fossil fuel giant Equinor.
“It is a carbon bomb and they want the UK public to fund it through tax breaks and subsidies. We cannot afford more fossil fuels like Rosebank.”
Stop Rosebank campaigner Lauren McDonald said: “If he didn’t before, Equinor’s boss now knows that he has a fight on his hands.
“There is massive public opposition to Rosebank in the UK, from scientists, charities, religious communities and across our politics.
“Equinor and Norway stand to make huge profits from its development, but the UK government’s case for approving it has fallen apart.”
Ms Thunberg and the protesters will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 15.
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