Swedish Activist's Explosive Condemnation in the Italian Capital
In a fiery address that captivated a packed crowd in Rome, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg launched a blistering verbal attack on the Italian government. The 22-year-old activist did not mince her words, branding Prime Minister Georgia Meloni's administration a 'f****** fascist' government during a major pro-Palestine demonstration.
Thunberg told the assembled protestors that she felt 'physically repulsed' every time she contemplated the 'war criminals in charge' of the country. Her speech, delivered with palpable anger, accused Italy of being one of the nations most complicit in what she labelled a genocide, due to its financial, military, political, and social support for Israel.
Recent Activism and Legal Repercussions
This outburst comes just days after Thunberg faced legal consequences for her environmental activism in Venice. On November 24, she was issued with a €150 (approximately £130) fine and a 48-hour ban from entering Venice. This penalty was a direct result of her participation in protests with the group Extinction Rebellion, which included dumping environmentally harmless green dye into the city's Grand Canal.
During that demonstration, activists hung a banner reading 'Stop Ecocide' from the Rialto Bridge and staged a flash mob, with veiled figures in red moving slowly among tourists. These coordinated actions were timed to coincide with the conclusion of the Cop30 UN climate conference in Belém, Brazil.
A History of Tension with Italian Leadership
The friction between Thunberg and the Italian government is not a new development. Back in September, Prime Minister Meloni publicly called for Thunberg's 'Freedom Flotilla' to immediately halt its mission as it approached the shores of Gaza. Meloni expressed concern that the flotilla's attempt to breach the Israeli naval blockade could disrupt a 'fragile balance' and fuel the conflict further.
This international aid flotilla, which included over 40 civilian boats carrying parliamentarians, lawyers, and activists, was ultimately detained by the Israeli military on October 1, some 80 miles from Gaza. This was not Thunberg's first confrontation with Israeli authorities; she was also deported by Israel in June when the ship she was travelling on, the Madleen, was stopped by the military.
Concluding her powerful speech in Rome, Thunberg urged the crowd to maintain pressure, stating, 'So you have a responsibility to continue showing up on the streets, to continue boycotting, blocking, organising.' Her provocative words were met with resounding cheers from the hundreds of demonstrators who had swarmed the streets near the iconic Colosseum.
