On Monday, Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg was arrested after staging a protest outside the energy ministry in Oslo, Norway.
She was protesting the construction of a wind farm that she claims impinges upon the rights of the Sami, an indigenous group, to raise reindeer in Norway.
Videos began circulating online of the arrest, and it showed Thunberg being hauled away as two female Swedish police officers detained and removed her.
According to Reuters, Thunberg had been blocking the entrance to the finance ministry, and, later, the climate and environment ministry.
Some social media users were swift to condemn the “theatrics” of the incident and insinuated that the whole thing was an orchestrated sham with paid actors:
This is hilarious. The police “arrested” Greta “the world is ending” Thunberg again but this time with more theatrics where they carried her by all fours like she was headed to a supermax prison but then they just let her go. The media vultures loved it. pic.twitter.com/9JAXnQdjXd
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) March 1, 2023
I’m convinced she paid them to do this.
— Jarrod Rodriguez ?? (@JarrodRodrigue1) March 1, 2023
Are the police uniforms just costumes or what?
— Mrs Fixed It (@MrsFixedIt) March 1, 2023
In the video, Thunberg, surrounded by camera crews and a crowd of chanting teens, was removed by the arms and legs. Despite the severity of that visual, she was then casually let go, and walked away as if nothing happened. In fact, an unidentified gave Thunberg a warm embrace as soon as the police “let her go.”
It was, as mentioned above, pure theatrics.
Thunberg was never brought into a police station, booked or anything else that usually happens when someone is detained. Even if someone isn’t arrested after being detained, it is usually longer than just a paparazzi ‘perp’ walk (or carry).
Greta Thunberg was briefly detained by Norway police during a demonstration in Oslo, removing her and other activists from the finance ministry. The campaigners are demanding the removal of wind turbines from reindeer pastures on Sami Indigenous land https://t.co/Rpk2xVmS2Y pic.twitter.com/xt0MFI6Vbq
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 1, 2023
Given Thunberg’s well-documented flair for theatrics, it’s hard to blame anyone who thinks that this is yet another staged incident.
This is hardly the first time that Thunberg has been accused of being more actress than activist.
In January, she was questioned on the streets of Davos, Switzerland, by a reporter who asked, “It’s getting quite cold in Davos, when can I expect some global warming? Are you a child actor or an expert?”
Greta proceeded to ignore the question and laugh.
Greta Thunberg giggles at questions posed by Rebel News CEO @ezralevant and journalist @CSmiles_News:
“It’s getting quite cold in Davos, when can I expect some global warming?”
“Are you a child actor or an expert?” pic.twitter.com/QubCHXySom
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 20, 2023
Until Thunberg can come up with a better response than a chortle, these accusations will only continue to dog her.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.