Local politician goes around the world after he took microphone from Greta Thunberg: “He is shocked by all the reactions” | Abroad

LOOK. Angry man disrupts Greta Thunberg’s speech during climate march in Amsterdam

The well-known Swedish climate activist gave a speech to tens of thousands of attendees during the climate march yesterday. Suddenly, however, she was rudely interrupted by a man who took her microphone.

What was going on now? Thunberg had just given the floor to a Palestinian activist. When they used the controversial slogan ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ however, her microphone was turned off.

Thunberg didn’t think that was possible. “As a climate movement, we must listen to the voices of those who are oppressed and those who fight for freedom and justice,” she said. “Without international solidarity there can be no climate justice.”

At that moment it became too much for the man. He climbed onto the stage and took the microphone from the activist to make it clear that “this was a climate march and not a political meeting.”

There was a commotion between the tens of thousands of climate demonstrators. Some cheered, others just started booing. “Nice and connecting,” was how it sounded. Thunberg himself called for calm. “Calm down, calm down!”, she shouted a few times.

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The man, who was wearing a green jacket from Water Naturally, was roughly removed by several people who were also on stage. He was quite shocked by that, according to the party’s leader.

“He didn’t think it was possible that there were multiple speeches about the war in Gaza,” says Patricia de Cocq. “Several people felt the same way and at that moment he thought he had to do something with that feeling.”

According to her, his action happened on a whim and he now realizes that he should not have acted so sharply. Water Naturally emphasizes that the man acted on his own and therefore does not promote the party’s positions or methods.

“We support a respectful and constructive dialogue on climate issues and encourage our members and supporters to express their views in a peaceful and respectful manner,” it said. “The incident during the climate march was the impulse of one individual.”

The podium climber’s campaign has now spread all over the world. ‘Man storms stage and snatches mic from Greta Thunberg’, for example, headlines the British newspaper The Independent. Interview requests from foreign newspapers trickle in on his social media. He does not want to comment on that, the party spokesperson said.

“He is shocked by what his action caused. None of this was his intention. He felt that the climate march was being put in a bad light and wanted to change that. He did this with a warm heart for climate and water, which we as a party also stand for.” The party cannot say whether the man actually regrets his action. “He mainly wants to let it rest now.”

‘From the river to the sea’ is often used in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The statement is controversial because it is seen as a call to wipe Israel off the map.