Student Opinion: Greta Thunberg detained in Germany
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Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist from Stockholm, Sweden, was recently detained in Germany for protesting at a coal mine. BBC explained that the coal mine is set to expand, which involves the demolition of Lützerath, a nearby village.
Thunberg is no stranger to protests and civil disobedience. She began her campaign for climate action in August 2018 when she started protesting outside the Swedish parliament. She gained international attention for her weekly protests, which she dubbed “Fridays for Future.” She has also hosted protests in many other portions of the world, including the U.S.
Other climate-change activists who express support for Thunberg and her actions see her as a courageous young woman who is standing up for what she believes in and shining a spotlight on the urgent issue of climate change. Her arrest has only served to further galvanize her supporters and amplify her message.
Others have criticized Thunberg and her protests. They argue that her actions are disruptive and that she should focus on more constructive ways of making change — or maybe not even express her views at all, considering her age. BBC, USA Today, Fox News and other news organizations have revealed that some have accused German police of staging the arrest in conjunction with Thunberg.
According to USA Today, there was a post that went viral through Instagram on Jan. 18, claiming the event was planned for the purpose of furthering the cause. However, a spokesman for the German police informed USA Today that Greta was in fact detained and removed from the site of the coal mine but was not processed nor officially arrested.
Regardless of how one feels about Thunberg and her protest, there is no denying that her detainment has sparked controversy. A video of her being removed from the coal mine has received millions of views, and we should expect more conversation regarding climate-change in the near future.
Diaz is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on Twitter
I would have to ask the question of authenticity. In this modern era, one thing is certain and that is propaganda campaigns and misinformation has been at the forefront of most stories. It is either a blatant intention or plain ignorance and incompetency. Neither is good for any society and the impatient rush of today’s world is only adding to the issue. At some point, people have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, ask difficult questions, and stand up for truth and transparency. There is also a video showing Greta and the cops standing around giggling and waiting for someone to give them the green light to begin what looks like a staged event. My point is we have so many contradictions to the mainstream narrative, one can’t help but ask do they bear some truth? She does come from a super wealthy family with lots of networking and resources to pull such stunts off. With the growing elite ideology around the world, and what has been pushed into our societies by “world leaders”, for example, the Davos event that just took place, a hidden agenda narrative is becoming more and more logical to suspect. I’m would like to hear what your thoughts are in that regard and if you believe these climate activists and scientists to be authentic. I can’t help but recall how we were all supposed to be dead by now due to climate change and the belief that the world would be in disarray because of our consumption habits. That was in the 80s when they were screaming for help then and we have seen Chinese society grow exponentially. They are the #1 culprits of pollution issues with no regard for environmental effects. I will conclude my statement by stating that I do believe we should strive for renewable energy and take care of our environment but not at the expense of individual freedom and liberty. Forcing people into electric cars and imposing high taxes for traditional energy or in some cases penalties is not the American way nor the Christian way thus we have a duty not to conform to such tyranny. Thank you for your time and God Bless my friend.