Man grabs Greta Thunberg’s microphone at Amsterdam climate protest
‘I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view’
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Your support makes all the difference.Greta Thunberg was interrupted by a man who grabbed the climate activist’s microphone during a protest in Amsterdam.
The man, whose identity has not yet been established, had climbed up on stage after Ms Thunberg invited Palestinian and Afghan women to speak during the protest on Sunday.
Slogans of “Palestine will be free” could be heard from the crowd, when the unidentified man attempted to snatch the microphone away from Ms Thunberg.
The man pulled the mic towards him as Ms Thunberg could be seen still holding on to it.
“I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view,” said the man before being escorted off stage and met by loud booing.
During the altercation, the climate activist could be heard saying “calm down” as she tried to yank the mic away from the man.
Ms Thunberg then joined the crowd in chanting “no climate justice on occupied land”.
“As a climate justice movement, we have to listen to the voices of those who are being oppressed and those who are fighting for freedom and for justice,” Ms Thunberg said at the protest.
“Otherwise, there can be no climate justice without international solidarity.”
The unidentified man was wearing a jacket with the name of a political party called Water Natuurlijk. It describes itself as an independent party, according to its website. It has elected members in Dutch water boards, according to the Associated Press.
It has not been established if the man has links to the party.
Sahar Shirzad, the Afghan woman who spoke during the protest, told the Associated Press that Ms Thunberg allowed them to take the stage with her. “Basically, she gave her time to us.”
The Palestinian woman invited by Ms Thunberg was identified as Sara Rachdan.
Reports said she spoke of “death and mourning” in Gaza, where Israel is engaged in a retaliatory strike against Hamas. Some reports said that her during her brief speech, her microphone appeared to have been cut off and a few people in the crowd shouted “let her speak”.
Ms Thunberg has expressed her solidarity with the Palestinian people in several social media posts, for which she has also attracted criticism.
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