The climate protestor Greta Thunberg had a weekend outing in Brussels which ended poorly, with an attempt by her and her allies to block a major roadway in the city being thwarted by local police.
Officers from the Brussels-Ixelles police department swooped on the October 5 protest minutes after the protestors set up their blockade on Place Rogier in the city centre, with activists telling Brussels Signal that law enforcement had prevented many of them from taking part in the demonstration.
Police proceeded to set up a barrier around the protesters to block them from view before arresting them. Thunberg herself is reported to have been arrested, though Brussels Signal was not able to witness her detention due to the police barriers.
Not a good day for Greta Thunberg in Brussels. Climate protest at Rogier ended by police before it began. Protesters removed via bus. Junction clear again.
More soon @brusselssignal #GretaThunberg #Bruxelles pic.twitter.com/yWxnRtmiAx
— Peter Caddle (@peter_caddle) October 5, 2024
Most of the demonstrators were then taken away from the scene via police bus.
Overall, the protest failed to block the Place Rogier section of the junction, with traffic continuing to flow in one direction throughout the short demonstration. Full access to the road was restored within two hours.
EXC: Greta Thunberg, a Swedish environmental activist, has been rumoured to be involved in secret plans for “civil disobedience” on October 5 in Brussels drawn up by climate protestors. https://t.co/JHzrrEM9Yd
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 3, 2024
The blocking event — which was exclusively forecast by Brussels Signal last week — coincided with a less disruptive climate march near the European institutions.
This demonstration was small compared to other recent demonstrations, with climate campaigners unable to gather more than 1,000 people to take part in the protest against the EU’s alleged “subsidising” of fossil fuels.
Such low numbers stand in contrast to the numerous farmer protests that took place in the city throughout 2024, with many of these demos seeing thousands of farmers descend on the capital, with police often left powerless to prevent the demonstrators from grinding the EU capital to a standstill.
Also unlike the farmers’ protest, the green march was also the subject of a small counterdemonstration.
These protesters, who identified themselves as vegans, told Brussels Signal that they were protesting the climate march as they felt that too many of the attendees in the demonstration ate meat and animal products.
This, they claimed, is irresponsible considering the planet is currently experiencing a “climate crisis”.
The demonstrators say they are setting up a new green organisation to push their views, but told Brussels Signal that they do not have a website or contacts for their new movement yet.
Riot police stand behind barricades erected around the European Parliament building in Brussels as farmers' protests intensify in the de facto EU capital.
Read more: https://t.co/Gg2Jbg3M5Q #AgriculteursEnColere #boerenprotest pic.twitter.com/AL8eSfMd8f
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 1, 2024
