Climate activist Greta Thunberg apologized after saying that world leaders who don’t act on climate change should be put “against the wall.”
Thunberg, 16, who has been striking against climate change by skipping school for the past year, claimed on Saturday that the Swedish to English translation incorrectly implied she thought politicians should be killed.
“Yesterday I said we must hold our leaders accountable and unfortunately said ‘put them against the wall’. That’s Swenglish: “att ställa någon mot väggen” (to put someone against the wall) means to hold someone accountable,” she said. “That’s what happens when you improvise speeches in a second language.”
She continued, “But of course I apologise if anyone misunderstood this. I can not enough express the fact that I – as well as the entire school strike movement- are against any possible form of violence. It goes without saying but I say it anyway.”
The activist had made the comments a day earlier while speaking to a crowd of young supporters Turin, Italy. Critics alleged that she was calling for violence.
… improvise speeches in a second language.
But of course I apologise if anyone misunderstood this. I can not enough express the fact that I – as well as the entire school strike movement- are against any possible form of violence. It goes without saying but I say it anyway.— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 14, 2019
Thunberg made international headlines earlier this year after giving a speech to the United Nations urging world leaders to act on climate change, which she said was robbing her of her childhood.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she said in September.
The teenager, who was just named Time’s Person of the Year, also shared that she would be taking some time off from her activism saying, “2019 is almost over. We must make sure that 2020 is the year of action, is the year when we bend the global emissions curve. We are going to put pressure on those in power, we are going to make sure that they will act and they will take responsibility.”
