{"id":54332,"date":"2025-11-20T10:50:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:50:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/greta-thunberg-detained-at-german-coal-mine-protest-in-2023\/20\/11\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T10:50:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:50:03","slug":"greta-thunberg-detained-at-german-coal-mine-protest-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/greta-thunberg-detained-at-german-coal-mine-protest-in-2023\/20\/11\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Greta Thunberg detained at German coal mine protest in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg<\/span> who launched the global \u201cFridays for Future\u201d movement and became a symbol of youth climate action has consistently been a target of online misinformation. In early November a video circulating online showing Thunberg being held by police in Germany claimed the incident was a staged publicity stunt. However, German police confirmed to AFP that the incident that unfolded in the German village of L\u00fctzerath in 2023 was not staged. Several videos published by independent media documented the incident and Thunberg herself posted on X about being detained by police during a peaceful protest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Everything is a show. Everything is a performance&#8221;, says the description of a video <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/58ZZ-P7P2\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:posted on Instagram;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">posted on Instagram<\/a> on November 10, 2025 that has been viewed over sixty thousand times so far. In the video, Greta Thunberg appears to be held by police officers and smiles as they escort her. The same video was also posted on the user&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/NZ6H-ZPXH?type=image\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Facebook profile;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Facebook profile<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Many users appear to believe the claims are true. One of the comments reads; &#8220;It&#8217;s terrible how many followers she has, everyone believes her\u2026 Ugh,&#8221; while another commented; &#8220;Fake to me from the very beginning, this doesn&#8217;t surprise me.&#8221; AFP has <a href=\"https:\/\/provjeracinjenica.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.783T3ZQ\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:fact-checked;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">fact-checked<\/a> this account in the past for inaccurate and misleading claims.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span>Screenshot of an inaccurate Instagram post from November 10, 2025. Orange Cross added by AFP.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Video is from a 2023 protest in Germany<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In the 27-second video, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg stands in a field, surrounded by police officers on both sides. At the end of the clip, she is seen being escorted off the field by police. The profile that posted the video claims that the entire event was staged for the public.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>AFP first used a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rvJXup8Zwos\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reverse image search;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reverse image search<\/a> to trace the origin of the footage. We used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invid-project.eu\/tools-and-services\/invid-verification-plugin\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:InVID WeVerify;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">InVID WeVerify<\/a> to make keyframes, so a key moment of the video can be selected and searched on Google Lense, allowing visually similar images to be found and the context to be identified.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Videos and articles from sources such as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/QVC7-KYYA\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Guardian;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Guardian<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/5NX2-YQLQ\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBC;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">BBC<\/a> were located through a reverse image search. AFP also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UxNjSW_J15k\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:published a video;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">published a video<\/a> of Greta Thunberg at the protest on January 18, 2023, on YouTube. The scene from these videos is different from the one shown in the videos making the false claim. They show Thunberg being carried away by several police officers during a protest in the German village of L\u00fctzerath (archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/P79L-6J5M\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">With a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rvJXup8Zwos\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:keyword search;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> keyword search<\/a>, AFP found more videos on YouTube. Several clips show Thunberg being detained, including one from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Qrgm2crfWfg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Independent;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Independent<\/a>, which depicts the same scene in which she was carried away, filmed from a different angle (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20251113122811\/https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Qrgm2crfWfg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).\u00a0The same event was also shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/dwnews\/status\/1615406246839914503\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:DW News;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">DW News<\/a> on their X profile on January 17, 2023, which described that, according to the German police, Thunberg and other protesters ran towards the edge of an open-pit coal mine before being stopped and removed from the immediate danger zone (archived\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20251113110742\/https:\/\/x.com\/dwnews\/status\/1615406246839914503\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">The police confirmed the arrest<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>The protest was <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20251114134805\/https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/german-police-detain-greta-thunberg-german-coal-village-protests-2023-01-17\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:reported;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">reported<\/a> to have taken place in January 2023 in the German village of L\u00fctzerath in North Rhine-Westphalia, where activists demonstrated against the demolition of the village to expand a coal mine. Riot police, supported by bulldozers, were deployed to remove activists from buildings and other structures in the village.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/live-news\/20230117-greta-thunberg-detained-at-german-coal-mine-protest\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:AFP reported;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">AFP reported<\/a> that Thunberg spent several days in Germany supporting protests against the demolition of L\u00fctzerath. A police spokeswoman said a group of activists had been taken into custody after having \u201cbroken away from the demonstration\u201d and run toward the edge of an open pit. Officials were working to identify those in custody, with decisions on further action to be made later (archived <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/8ZDW-6GAH\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a>). AFP did not find any indications in any credible sources that it was a staged arrest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In an email sent to AFP on November 11, 2025, Georg Wilden, chief commissioner of the responsible <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20251114111717\/https:\/\/aachen.polizei.nrw\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Aachen police;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Aachen police<\/a>, confirmed that Thunberg had indeed been temporarily detained on January 17, 2023, for identity verification. Wilden explained that Thunberg and a group of climate activists had separated from the main assembly and confirmed that they moved towards the edge of the open-pit mine, an area designated as dangerous. Wilden also noted that the police had already rejected claims on January 18, 2023, that the detention had been \u201cstaged.\u201d In the video circulating online, the scene shows a static situation on the ground, with police officers waiting for the next steps in the operation, he wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Accordi<span>ng to an article from January 18, 2023, of the Austrian website of the public broadcaster, <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/962H-54PU\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:ORF;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">ORF<\/a><\/span>, the protest involved a significant police presence, with reports indicating that up to 3,700 officers deployed, supported by forces from almost all German federal states. Before the clearance, barricades were set on fire, and protesters threw pyrotechnics, paint bags, and stones toward police and the staff of the coal company RWE, a German multinational energy company. While 372 people left L\u00fctzerath voluntarily, 159 were removed by police. An Aachen police spokesperson told ORF News that during the incident, Thunberg was photographed by journalists, which the police said was allowed under press freedom, and that officers did not \u201cpose\u201d with her. Once her information was recorded, the group was moved away from the edge of the mine and released, with all activists treated equally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On January 18, 2023, Greta Thunberg addressed the protest on her <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/6UDQ-V3X8\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:X profile;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">X profile<\/a>, describing the events from her perspective. She wrote: \u201cYesterday I was part of a group that peacefully protested the expansion of a coal mine in Germany. We were kettled by police and then detained, but were let go later that evening.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"&lt;span&gt;Screenshot of an X post by Greta Thunberg, captured on November 13, 2025&lt;\/span&gt;\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"589\" height=\"411\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/P_z.tcMn3S_zhAZpdQ01nA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY3MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/00ec1f3227ef997da969014ce70ffede\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span>Screenshot of an X post by Greta Thunberg, captured on November 13, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/BC7A-HGXW?type=standard\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:first videos;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">first videos <\/a>making similar accusations appeared in January 2023. At that time, the Austrian factcheck organization\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/TXD9-J9YW\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:APA\u2011Faktencheck;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">APA\u2011Faktencheck<\/a> examined the claim that the arrest was staged and found it to be false.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/perma.cc\/P9DL-ZR9E\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:recent news;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">recent news<\/a>, Greta Thunberg was among hundreds of activists detained by Israeli forces after the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying aid to Gaza was intercepted in international waters. According to Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry, the activists were taken to an Israeli port for deportation, while the flotilla organizers described the interception as \u201cillegal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">AFP has also debunked many climate-related claims, like <a href=\"https:\/\/provjeracinjenica.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.63G94CP\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">here<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/provjeracinjenica.afp.com\/doc.afp.com.62N649D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:here;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/greta-thunberg-detained-german-coal-153603483.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg who launched the global &ldquo;Fridays for Future&rdquo; movement and became a symbol of youth climate action has<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/greta-thunberg-detained-at-german-coal-mine-protest-in-2023\/20\/11\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/afp_factcheck_us_713\/00ec1f3227ef997da969014ce70ffede","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54332"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}