Emotional teenage green activist Greta Thunberg gives Donald Trump the death stare at climate summit
Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg stole the limelight at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York on Monday, September 23, by tearing into international delegates even as she broke down in tears. The 16-year-old thundered on at the event telling the global community that it had stolen her dreams and childhood with empty words. Thunberg arrived in the US for the climate summit crossing the Atlantic in a zero-emissions sailboat to show her commitment to a pollution-free planet.
“I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” Thunberg said. The climate summit was organized by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ask countries to agree on slowing down the effects of climate change.
Last year, Thunberg made heads turn when she skipped school to demonstrate outside the Swedish parliament calling for stronger climate action. Her act had a compelling effect as students across the world also started taking similar initiatives in their own countries and communities. The initiative then went on to the beginning of the 'Fridays For Future' international movement against climate change.
Besides her emotional words, the youngster also created waves with her withering expression when she saw President Donald Trump enter the summit, although he was not invited. Thunberg was seen struggling to contain her fury as she stood and watched as Trump walked in flanked by journalists. The girl was annoyed that she was held back by a security officer as the world’s most powerful man walked in, but the dislike could also be propelled by the fact that Trump’s beliefs on climate change are at odds with the impending danger that the world perceives.
Trump announced pulling US out of Paris climate accord in 2017
In June 2017, months after taking over at the White House, Trump announced he was pulling the US out of the Paris climate accords, saying it would harm America’s economic interests. The president has also time and again expressed his disbelief in the phenomenon of climate change, leaving activists like Thunberg distraught.
Trump, who was present at the climate summit for 10 to 15 minutes, was accompanied by Vice-President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The American leader stayed on to hear speeches made by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and reportedly appreciated the former more than the latter.
Trump and Pence were in the same building to speak at the Global Call to Protect Religious Freedom when they decided to pay a surprise visit to the climate talks.
When Trump was asked his reason for attending the climate summit he said he was a big believer in clean air and water and felt all countries should come together to strive for that, CNN's Jim Acosta tweeted.