After climate activist Greta Thunberg and other members of the Swedish branch of Fridays for Future accused Israel of genocide, Thunberg’s own movement increasingly turned away from her. People also keep their distance in Austria.
Fridays For Future Austria spokesperson Daniel Shams said on Tuesday that they had clearly positioned themselves several times in recent weeks. “Only speakers from Fridays for Future Austria can speak for us. Greta Thunberg does not speak for us. As the authors of the guest article themselves emphasize, this only reflects the position of the Swedish movement.”
At a distance from the founder
Explosive – Thunberg is the initiator of the Fridays for Future protests. As a reminder, in 2018, Greta Thunberg refused to go to school as a 15-year-old and sat in front of the Swedish parliament with a protest sign. The resulting movement is now taking to the streets in countless countries around the world to protest for more sustainable climate policies.
Yet the Austrian branch is now clearly distancing itself from the founder. FFF Austria’s position is clear: “Human rights and international humanitarian law apply to everyone. We condemn all violence against the civilian population. It is firmly entrenched in our principles that we oppose all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and we will continue to do so.”
Thunberg spoke of ‘genocide’
The stumbling block was a guest article by Thunberg and other members of Fridays for Future Sweden, which was published on Tuesday in the newspapers “Aftonbladet” (Sweden) and “Guardian” (Great Britain). “Committing genocide is not self-defense and is not proportionate in any way,” they wrote.
Thunberg and her co-authors emphasized that they were only speaking for Fridays for Future in Sweden. The organization has always spoken out when people have to suffer or be killed, both in Kurdistan and in Ukraine, and will not remain silent now. They quoted Israeli historian Ras Segal, who described Israeli actions in Gaza as “by-the-book genocide” just a few days after the start of the conflict.
Climate movement on a provocative course
It is not the first time that Thunberg has provoked people with such statements. In October, she was already criticized for, according to media reports, sharing on Instagram a phone call from a Germany-based pro-Palestinian group accusing Israel of genocide.
Fridays for Future addressed the accusation of genocide in a separate post. The Austrian and German sections distanced themselves. Only after heavy criticism did Thunberg declare her rejection of Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped about 240.
A further escalation took place during a climate demonstration in Amsterdam, where pro-Palestinian slogans were chanted. A climate activist then took Thunberg’s microphone and expressed his displeasure. He was taken off stage.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
