'Didn't come for political view': Man snatches mic from Greta Thunberg over pro-Palestinian chants
Snatching the mic from Thunberg, the man said, "I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view". The dramatic event unfolded after the Swedish climate activist invited a Palestinian and an Afghan woman on stage during the event in the Netherlands.
A recent climate protest involving climate activist Greta Thunberg in Amsterdam, Netherlands was briefly interrupted as a man snatched a mic from her hands over a pro-Palestinian address. Thunberg had invited a Palestinian and Afghan woman on stage during the protest, reports Sky News.
The Swedish activist was speaking to a crowd of tens of thousands when the incident happened. "As a climate justice movement, we have to listen to the voices of those who are being oppressed and those who are fighting for freedom and for justice. Otherwise, there can be no climate justice without international solidarity," she said then.
The man came up on stage and snatched the mic from her hands to say, "I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view." He was soon ushered off by people on stage. Thunberg then wrestled the mic back from the man, told him to "calm down", and joined the crowd in chanting: "No climate justice on occupied land".
The man was wearing a jacket with the name of a group called Water Natuurlijk that has elected members in Dutch water boards. His identity was not immediately clear. The Afghan woman, Sahar Shirzad, told the Associated Press that Thunberg had allowed her to take the stage with her, reports Euronews.
Thunberg's event was briefly interrupted as a small group of activists at the front of the crowd waved Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans. She appeared undeterred and was later seen dancing behind the stage as the band played.
Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Amsterdam calling for more action to tackle climate change, in a mass protest just 10 days before a national election. Organisers claimed that 70,000 people, including Thunberg, took part in the march and called it the biggest climate protest ever in the Netherlands.
"We live in a time of crises, all of which are the result of the political choices that have been made. It has to be done and it can be done differently,” organisers of the Climate Crisis Coalition said in a statement.
Thunberg, along with other climate activist groups, has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Palestine and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, although she has simultaneously also condemned antisemitism.
Large-scale fighting and bombings in the Gaza Strip began after the deadly surprise attack by Hamas militants on October 7, which killed more than 1,400 people in Israel. In retaliation, Israeli bombardment and ground operations have claimed more than 11,000 lives in Gaza, including over 4,000 children and 3,000 women.
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