Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg told a group of protesters Friday in Turin, Italy that they would “put world leaders against the wall” if they “run away from their responsibilities” on climate change.
The comments, at a “Fridays for Future” protest, were reported by Daily Mail:
“Unfortunately, we probably already know the outcome,” she said. “World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities but we have to make sure they cannot do that. We will make sure that we put them against the wall and they will have to do their job to protect our futures.”
“It is not fair that the older generation are handing over the responsibility to solve this crisis to us young people who have not started this crisis,” Thunberg continued. “It’s not fair that we have to do all this. The adults are behaving as if there is no tomorrow but there is a tomorrow, it is the tomorrow where our young people will live and we have to fight for that tomorrow. We can no longer take that tomorrow for granted.” (RELATED: Melania Trump Cites Key Difference Between Barron And Greta Thunberg)
After backlash from the comments, Thunberg clarified Saturday via two Twitter posts, saying the phrase actually means “to hold someone accountable” in Swedish and that she is “against any possible form of violence.”
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.
That’s what happens when you… (1/2)— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 14, 2019
… 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
The 16-year-old Thunberg, who just became the youngest person to win Time’s “Person of the Year,” shot to instant world celebrity after a fiery December speech to the United Nations accusing world leaders of “stealing” their children’s futures.
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that the climate activist, who has Asburger’s Syndrome, work on her “Anger Management problem.”