British judge drops public disorder charges against Greta Thunberg

A London judge on Friday dropped charges of public disorder against Greta Thunberg and other environmental activists ruling that they had been detained under “unlawful” circumstances during an anti-fossil fuel protest.

The 21-year-old Swedish activist and the four other defendants appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for the second day following their involvement in an Oct. 17 protest outside a central London hotel hosting a forum of energy company executives. Judge John Law said on Friday that the police could have used less restrictive measures, that it hadn’t properly defined where protesters were to move, and that the order to disperse was “so unclear that it was unlawful,” so those who didn’t comply hadn’t committed an offense.

After hearing testimony on Thursday and Friday, the judge decided to drop the charges, saying the activists “committed no crime.” “It is quite striking to me that there were no witness statements taken from anyone in the hotel, approximately 1,000 people, or from anyone trying to get in,” the judge added.

Thunberg, along with the other activists, had already pleaded not guilty to violating Section 14 of the Public Order Act. During Friday’s hearing, Rad Chada argued that the police also did not give them enough time to leave the area.