No jail time for unrepentant Greta Thunberg after arrest at June climate protest

Greta Thunberg won’t get any jail time despite being found guilty of disobeying police during an environmental protest in Sweden.

The famous climate activist was convicted of the offense Monday during her appearance at Malmo District Court, according to Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan, for a charge that can include time in prison.

Instead, the 20-year-old Ms. Thunberg was fined roughly $144 for the offense and was ordered to pay about $96 toward the Swedish fund for victims of crime.

Before the sentence was handed down, she was unrepentant.

“My actions are justifiable,” Ms. Thunberg told the court, according to the newspaper. “I believe that we are in an emergency that threatens life, health and property. Countless people and communities are at risk both in the short term and in the long term.”

She was arrested last month for helping block a road for oil trucks in Malmo harbor. She and other activists organized the blockade in protest of the use of fossil fuels, which they say are the chief cause of climate change.

“It’s correct that I was at that place on that day, and it’s correct that I received an order that I didn’t listen to, but I want to deny the crime,” Ms. Thunberg told the court when asked about the charge against her.

Disobeying a police officer can carry a six-month sentence in Sweden, but a prosecutor previously told Sydsvenskan that offenders are usually just given a fine.