Scuffle with Thunberg – activist warns of division in the climate movement

“If Greta Thunberg or other leading activists constantly talk about the Palestinian issue, it causes division,” Erjan Dam told Spiegel in an interview published on Monday evening. “People who disagree are repelled by such statements. “That is detrimental to the cause,” Dam continued, demanding: “The climate protection movement must focus on its core issue: climate protection.” Regardless, he was disappointed: “I felt abused – and so did many other participants.”

Thunberg: “No climate justice on occupied land”
Dam, a retired physiotherapist who, according to Spiegel, has been committed to nature and water conservation for years, jumped on stage in front of the cameras on Sunday and shouted into the microphone: “I came here for a climate demonstration, not for a political vision that needs to be heard. ” Thunberg then called on participants to remain calm and then sang several times: “There is no climate justice on occupied land.” She was clearly alluding to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel.

Following a similar move last month, Thunberg was already criticized for not specifically mentioning the Israeli victims of the October 7 Hamas massacre that left about 1,200 dead. According to the organizers, around 85,000 people took part in the climate demonstration, making it the largest demonstration of this kind in the Netherlands to date.

“Anti-Israel sentiment stirred up”
Dam further said in the interview that he had always admired Thunberg. “But if she constantly talks about Palestine instead of climate protection, that is not good for the climate protection movement.” Like many others, ‘he traveled to Amsterdam especially for this demonstration.’ But the protest was hardly about climate protection or the environment, “but mainly about the Palestinian problem.” Speakers on stage constantly talked about the Middle East – some of them fueling the mood against Israel.