Environmental protestor Greta Thurnberg was arrested in London at a protest against fossil fuels outside the Energy Intelligence Forum’s annual conference.
Video footage showed Thurnberg as one of five people arrested by the police at a protest organised by Fossil Fuel London outside the InterContinental Hotel which is staging the event.
Bosses from many of the world’s leading oil and gas events are attending the event, with Thurnberg accusing the industry of deliberately halting progress on climate change to make more profit.
“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,” she told reporters outside the event.
Breaking: @GretaThunberg has just been arrested protesting in London
She was among hundreds of protesters outside the Energy Intelligence Forum (a conference formerly known as Oil & Money) where many senior oil and gas execs are speaking today pic.twitter.com/CwrWSDwG1c
— Emily Gosden (@emilygosden) October 17, 2023
Today is the first of the three-day event, which was formerly called the Oil and Money Conference.
Shell boss Wael Sawan is scheduled to speak this week, having already been salted by climate activists for remaining back on plans to reposition the Anglo-Dutch giant away from fossil fuels.
Greenpeace activists also launched a protest at the event, abseiling down the hotel with a banner saying “Make big oil pay”.
"Big oil is profiting from humanity's loss and those who have done the least to cause climate change are being forced to pay the price," said Maja Darlington from the activist group.