Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested Tuesday in central London after protesting in support of eight members of the group Palestine Action, a proscribed terrorist organization, who are currently on hunger strike in prison following violent demonstrations, British police said.
London police said they detained “a 22‑year‑old woman” for unlawful protest in favor of a group designated as a terrorist organization. In video circulated online, Thunberg is seen sitting on a sidewalk holding a sign that read, “I support Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide,” before an officer took the sign and placed her under arrest.
Greta Thunberg arrested at a protest in central London
(Video: from X)
The video was shared by activists with a protest group calling itself Prisoners for Palestine, who are demonstrating against the incarceration of Palestine Action members. The group said Thunberg and other protesters were arrested during a demonstration outside the offices of Aspen Insurance, which they accuse of providing services to Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
Two anti‑Israel demonstrators sprayed red paint on the building’s facade during the protest, and according to Sky News, they were also taken into custody.
Thunberg first rose to international prominence as a teenager leading school strikes in Sweden to demand stronger global action on climate change, and was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2019. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, she has shifted much of her activism toward opposition to Israel’s policies, leading two flotillas this year aimed at “breaking the siege of Gaza.” She was arrested and expelled from Israel twice, most recently in October.
During that detention, she spent five days in custody before her deportation and later alleged mistreatment. She claimed that she and fellow activists were subjected to beatings, threats and abuse, and displayed a suitcase she said was confiscated from her on the boat and later returned with derogatory markings, including drawings of an Israeli flag and male genitalia and the words “whore Greta.”
Smashed planes, hammer attacks: hunger strikers ‘near death’
Eight members of the anti‑Israel group Palestine Action who are imprisoned in Britain and for whom Thunberg protested are on hunger strike and could die in custody if the government does not meet their demands and they agree to eat, their lawyers and relatives say.
The group has refused food for about six weeks. Teuta Hoxha, 29, who has been on hunger strike for 43 days, told supporters Tuesday that she is already struggling to stand and has given doctors instructions on what to do if she collapses and dies. Another prisoner, Kamran Ahmad, 28, said he fears daily that his moment of death is approaching, but views dying for Palestine Action as a “worthwhile” death.
Britain designated Palestine Action a terrorist organization in July, banning its activities after a series of violent break‑ins that caused millions of dollars in damage, the Washington Post reported. Two of the group’s most notable actions included an August 2024 breach of a facility belonging to Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems near Bristol, where activists wielding sledgehammers and crowbars attacked responding police, and a June 20 break‑in at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire — the United Kingdom’s largest air base — where they sprayed red paint on the engines of two tanker aircraft, causing significant damage.
Palestine Action activists attack responding police with sledgehammers and crowbars at an Elbit Systems facility near Bristol
(Video: Sky News)
Once outlawed and labeled a terrorist group, it is illegal in Britain to demonstrate on its behalf or display its symbols. But since the designation, supporters have repeatedly taken to the streets, portraying themselves as Palestine Action members in a challenge to authorities, leading to hundreds of arrests.
As part of Britain’s crackdown on the group, a counter‑terrorism unit raided homes in November 2024 and arrested several activists for their actions, including Hoxha. She and her fellow hunger strikers have now been held for about 13 months, and their trial is scheduled for April 2026, meaning nearly a year and a half will have passed from arrest to court date.
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Palestine Action supporter arrested during a protest in London
(Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor)
Hoxha and three of the other hunger strikers were charged in connection with the break‑in at the Elbit facility near Bristol. They face criminal damage, aggravated burglary and public order charges. Prosecutors say the four caused more than $1.3 million in damage to the research center. Those four, along with the other four hunger strikers, deny all charges against them.
'Appeal for compassion'
The eight Palestine Action hunger strikers began their protest on Nov. 2, demanding that all members of the proscribed group be released on bail, that the organization’s ban be lifted and that Britain close all domestic weapons factories supplying arms to Israel. They are also calling for an end to what they describe as harsh and abusive prison conditions, including restrictions on visits and phone calls and allegations that staff refer to them as “terrorists.”
Hoxha’s 17‑year‑old sister, Rahma, said her condition in prison is deteriorating as a result of the hunger strike. Hoxha is now suffering persistent headaches and difficulty moving and can barely stand to pray, Rahma said. She added that Hoxha has already given doctors instructions on what to do if she collapses or dies.
Palestine Action activists sabotage a Royal Air Force aircraft
(Video: from X)
Rahma noted that her sister will mark her 30th birthday in prison next Monday, but "there will be no birthday cake,” in an effort to evoke sympathy from the British public.
Hoxha has been detained for more than a year, and her trial is not set to begin before April, Rahma said. She also recounted how deeply her sister’s absence is felt at home: “Our mother passed away when I was really young. Teuta took care of me and my siblings and made sure to read us bedtime stories,” she said. Rahma added that Hoxha still calls her every day from prison to help with homework.
Earlier this month, the hunger strikers’ lawyers sent a letter to British Justice Secretary David Lammy, warning that the prisoners are likely to die in custody if the government does not intervene. Five of the strikers have been hospitalized recently, and one has lost more than 22 pounds (10 kilograms), their attorneys said. The lawyers wrote that the strikers are suffering severe weakness and memory loss, with some appearing “like a skeleton” or requiring wheelchairs to move.
The British government said it respects the independence of the judiciary and does not intend to intervene in court proceedings. It noted that all eight are “charged with serious offenses” and emphasized that decisions about bail are up to the judges, not the government.