Climate activist Greta Thunberg pleads not guilty after arrest at London protest

London: Climate activist Greta Thunberg pleaded not guilty to a public order offence charge in a British court on Wednesday following her arrest last month at an environmental protest in London.

The 20-year-old was detained by police on Oct. 17 after she and dozens of demonstrators locked arms to obstruct the entrances to a hotel where an oil and gas conference was taking place.

Thunberg, wearing a grey T-shirt and black jeans, spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth as the judge at Westminster Magistrates Court set Feb. 1 as the date for her trial.

As she left the court building in central London, a small group of climate demonstrators chanted "Climate protest is not a crime". She made no comments to media.

Thunberg has become famous as the face of climate activism since she started staging weekly protests in Sweden in 2018, and she now travels around the world addressing crowds at marches and protests.

She appeared in court alongside four other protesters who all pleaded not guilty. District Judge John Law agreed that Thunberg's address should not be made public. Her lawyer said she had been threatened and her address should be withheld.

She was released on bail. If found guilty she could be fined.

Before her arrest in Britain, she has this year been detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway and Germany.