Terry Newman: Greta's journey from child climate activist to terrorist mascot

Greta Thunberg was arrested by U.K. police last week, completing her journey from child climate activist to proud supporter of a proscribed terrorist group.

In both instances, she arrived on the scene seemingly with no assembly required — climate and antizionist software already pre-installed — ready to plug a book authored by her mother three days after she was “discovered,” or a long list of antizionist organizations she recommended shortly after the horrific attacks of October 7 while claiming she wasn’t antisemitic. Her seven-year story appears to be one of exploitation and opportunism leading to her current role — terrorist mascot.

A video taken at the pro-Palestinian protest where she was arrested in London shows Thunberg, now 22, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed, dressed in black, wearing sneakers, a toque and a blue keffiyeh wrapped around her neck, not looking much older than she did when she was first hurled into the public eye seen years ago at the age of 15.

The protest was in support of a group that has been proscribed as a terrorist group by the British government following the group’s “orchestration and enaction of aggressive and intimidatory attacks against businesses, institutions and the public, which has crossed the thresholds established in the Terrorism Act 2000.”

In the video an officer can be seen gently removing a sign from Thunberg’s hands that says, “I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.” On the back of the sign is a Palestinian flag and the words, “Free Palestine — end apartheid.”

Both the apartheid and genocide claims are major drivers for support of these and other pro-Palestinian groups across the globe — both are purposeful misinformation. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) which decides these things begs to differ. It’s never been ruled by ICJ that Israel is committing genocide, nor have they been deemed an apartheid state.

Thunberg sat there passively, unfazed in that video; whoever pointed that camera at her knew exactly what they were doing. It’s unfortunate we don’t know who they are. But they know that Thunberg doesn’t have to do anything, really, just be their useful mascot, a young face, previously associated with a gentle cause.

Thunberg was arrested, as she and her comrades likely knew she would be, and was later released on bail.

There’s much evidence to suggest that this has always been Thunberg’s role  — a useful symbol to manipulate public sentiment. How could a young, well-meaning autistic girl be wrong?

If Thunberg seemed quickly catapulted into fame, that’s because she was.

First photographed on the steps of sit-in at the Swedish Parliament on August 20, 2018, she held a sign that read, “Skolstrejk för klimatet” or “School Strike for Climate.” A man named Ingmar Rentzhog has suggested that he “discovered” Thunberg that day.

Rentzhog posted an image of her alone with her backpack on Instagram and an article about her on Facebook the date of the launch of her mother Malena Ernman’s climate book, but denies having any connection to her mother’s book.

But according to reports, Rentzhog used her image to gain funds for his climate PR agency We Don’t Have Time. Thunberg also admitted to being a youth advisor for the firm.

Thunberg’s more recently known for her and other young activists’ involvement with flotillas which have purposely sailed into waters Israel says it blockades in order to prevent Hamas from obtaining weapons. Thunberg has made grandiose claims about she and other activists on the flotilla receiving poor treatment — all unproven. Israel has referred to the whole thing as a PR stunt meant to spread fake news, and has assured that “all the legal rights of the participants in this PR stunt were and will continue to be fully upheld.”

And this week, a man Thunberg was photographed with during a pro-Palestinian rally in Rome November was arrested in Italy accused of “belonging to and having financed” Hamas through charities.

But when did she make the leap from climate to pro-proscribed terrorist group mascot?

Thunberg’s first post about Gaza appears to have been a repost of a May 10, 2021 comment by climate activist Naomi Klein which said, “Speak up. Risk position and privilege. Doesn’t have to be on social media but it has to be somewhere. Write the letter. Sign the petition. Do it at work. Do it at home. War crime after war crime. #SaveSheikhJarrah #GazaUnderAttack.”

Klein was referring to was a video shared which claimed that, “This is what it looks like INSIDE Al Aqsa mosque right now. Israeli forces are shooting Palestinians, spraying tear gas, and throwing stun grenades with alarming frequency — all during the holiest time of the year for Muslims.”

But the non-profit that posted this video is not a news source nor is it neutral. The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) is a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. Its post implied that Israel’s soldiers had been shooting Palestinians — but these were rubber bullets, not live fire. According to UN Watch, it was in response to violence incited by Palestinian leaders and worshippers against Israel police and Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall.

It certainly wasn’t evidence of a “war crime after war crime,” as Klein had suggested.

Thunberg, likely trusting the wisdom of an older climate activist she respected, shared Klein’s post writing, “Devastating to follow the developments in Jerusalem and Gaza… #SaveSheikhJarrah.”

The backlash was immediate. She responded to it the following day by https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1392112286479917061, “To be crystal clear: I am not ‘against’ Israel or Palestine. Needless to say, I’m against any form of violence or oppression from anyone or any part. And again – it is devastating to follow the developments in Israel and Palestine.”

That post has since been removed. According to Wayback Machine, a site that intermittently takes snapshots of things on the internet to save them for posterity, it was removed sometime between Sept. 4, 2022 the date of the last snapshot, and Dec. 31. 2022 when the next snapshot reveals it had been taken down.

Sometime between these dates Thunberg appears to have chosen a side.

The next post about Palestine didn’t appear until Oct. 20, 2023 about two weeks after Hamas’ horrific attacks on October 7.

In a thread, she wrote, “Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected. #FreePalestine #IStandWithPalestine #StandWithGaza #FridaysForFuture.”

The post includes a picture of her standing with three other young activists, all of them holding signs saying, “Free Palestine,” and a favourite of antizionist pro-Palestinian groups, “This Jew Stands with Palestine.”

Thunberg’s reads, “Stand with Gaza” — making it clear she’s chosen a side and everything that comes along with it.

So, what? She took a side against war, some might say. But that doesn’t explain why in the next post she alerts her followers to seven accounts where they can find information and help Gaza — all of them antizionist.

Only one sign held by the four activists was related to the environment. But it was tucked away in the corner, as if fading off into the distance, much like her more innocent history of climate activism.

National Post
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