Greta Thunberg's speech was interrupted on Sunday by a man when he seized the microphone, expressing discontent and telling her, "I've come for a climate demonstration, not a political view" after she invited a Palestinian and an Afghan woman onto the stage. Shortly before the incident, chants of "Palestine will be free" resonated from the crowd.
Earlier in the rally, an activist had her speech curtailed by organizers after using the phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," according to Reuters news agency. The slogan has stirred controversy in recent times as many Jewish groups claim that it is a call for the destruction of Israel.
Unexpected Interruption
Thunberg was addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in Amsterdam when she invited the Palestinian and Afghan women to join her on the platform. "As a climate justice movement, we have to listen to the voices of those who are being oppressed and those who are fighting for freedom and for justice. Otherwise, there can be no climate justice without international solidarity," she said.
After the Palestinian and the Afghan woman, Sahar Shirzad, delivered their speeches, and Thunberg resumed speaking, emphasizing that "the people in power have not been listening," a man approached the stage and interrupted her by grabbing the microphone.
"I have come here for a climate demonstration, not a political view," he said, before he was ushered off as crowd members booed.
Thunberg swiftly grabbed back the microphone, urging the man to "Calm down."
Following a brief pause, she began chanting: "No climate justice on occupied land."
The man's identity remained unclear, but he was wearing a jacket with the name of a group called Water Natuurlijk, which has elected members in Dutch water boards.
More Interruptions
Before Thunberg took the stage, the event was briefly interrupted as a small group of activists at the front of the crowd waved Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestinian slogans.
Undeterred, she later appeared dancing behind the stage as a band played.
The incident came after tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Amsterdam in a mass protest, calling for increased action to address climate change. This demonstration took place just 10 days before a national election.
Organizers claimed that 70,000 people participated in the march, labeling it the largest climate protest in the Netherlands.
Demonstrators carried placards with messages such as 'Our house is on fire,' 'In 2050: Daddy, what are trees?' and 'Climate Justice Now.'
They crowded into Amsterdam's central square before marching through the streets. Thunberg was among those walking through the historic heart of the Dutch capital.
Political leaders, including former European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans, who currently leads a center-left, two-party bloc in the election campaign, later addressed the crowd in a square behind the landmark Rijksmuseum.
