Greta Thunberg has been detained by police in central London.
The 20-year-old climate activist had been attending a protest organised by by Fossil Free London and Greenpeace.
Within moment of this, images began to circulate on social media of Swedish activist being led away by police officers.
Initially posted on X, the caption read: “Breaking – Greta Thunberg has just been arrested.”
Despite the police presence, she was not handcuffed and wore a beige beanie as she was led away from the InterContinental London hotel in Park Lane.
The event hosts experts from Shell, Total, Equinor, Saudi Aramco, and other oil giants.
As climate activists gathered outside the hotel, they called for change within international politics.
Many shared their concerns about oil executives and claimed that were deliberately slowing the transition to renewables, in order to boost their profits.
Eager to stop them from accessing the build, protestors blocked access as to the hotel by sitting and standing on the pavement outside.
Before being arrested, Thunberg addressed the crowd and 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.”
Those listening held banners, which read ‘Make big oil pay’ and whilst chanting ‘oil money out’, and ‘cancel the conference’.
She added: “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.”
At least five others have also been arrested at the climate protest.
In a statement about this, the Metropolitan Police told press: “Five people have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing a highway and taken into custody. Officers remain in the area.”
The ‘Oily Money Out’ protest is set to continue over the next three days, with the forum being interrupted throughout.
More to follow.
