'How dare you?': Here are instances of Greta Thunberg taking on world leaders

Greta Thunberg (Image: Reuters)

Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s February 2 tweet calling on people to show solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protest in India against three contentious farm reform laws placed the matter on the global map.

A similar tweet from Barbadian singer Rihanna also made people across the world talk about the protests on social media.

The impact of tweets by Thunberg and Rihanna, among others, was also noted by Indian authorities. Hours after farmers protest and other related search terms started trending on social media platforms in many parts of the world, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was “unfortunate to see vested interest groups” were trying to “enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them”.

"Some of these vested interest groups have also tried to mobilise international support against India," MEA said in a statement.

“The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” the statement added.

But this was not the first time Thunberg has found herself in the middle of a confrontation with a foreign government. The 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist is known for pushing world leaders to take immediate steps to tackle climate change.

She is known for her blunt speeches and public criticism of world leaders, including former US President Donald Trump.

While Thunberg started with school climate strikes and social media activism, Thunberg became popular globally when she delivered a speech at the 2019 United Nations climate action summit in New York, US.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are at the beginning of mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” Thunberg charged at world leaders.

While prominent personalities such as US Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Bernie Sanders have expressed support for Thunberg, there have been some world leaders who have criticised the teenager.

Australia’s Morrison

In 2019, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had responded to Thunberg’s UN speech by declaring that the climate change debate is subjecting Australian children to “needless anxiety”.

“I do understand that people feel strongly about this, but I think we also have to take stock, we have to ensure we get a proper context and perspective,” Morrison said.

Morrison said he wanted Australian children to feel positive about their future and said it was important to give them “confidence that they will not only have a wonderful country and pristine environment to live in, that they will also have an economy to live in as well.”

Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin had also taken aim at Thunberg. He told an energy forum that he didn’t share the excitement about the teen’s UN speech. “No one has explained to Greta that the modern world is complex and different and ... people in Africa or in many Asian countries want to live at the same wealth level as in Sweden,” Putin said.

The Russian president said that young people who paid attention to environmental issues must be supported, but “when someone is using children and teenagers in personal interests, it only deserves to be condemned.”

Trump

Thunberg also gave then US president Trump, what some described as, a 'death stare' at the same climate summit. This was after Trump mocked her speech in a tweet, saying: “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”

She reacted by changing her Twitter handle’s bio to what Trump had said and added that she could not “understand why grown-ups would choose to mock children and teenagers for just communicating and acting on the science when they could do something good instead.”

Later that year, Trump again mocked Thunberg after she was named TIME Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ saying: "So ridiculous". "Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" Trump said in a tweet.

Thunberg again responded by changing her Twitter bio to: "A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend."

During the 2020 US presidential election, Thunberg commented on Trump’s tweet asking for counting to be stopped with the text: “So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!”

Brazil’s Bolsonaro

In December 2019, Thunberg tweeted: “Indigenous people are literally being murdered for trying to protect the forest (sic) from illegal deforestation. Over and over again. It is shameful that the world remains silent about this”.

Responding to Thunberg’s comment, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said: "Greta said that the Indians were dying because they were trying to protect the Amazon. It is impressive how the press gives voice to such a brat."

Shortly after Bolsonaro’s response was reported, Thunberg changed her Twitter bio again to “pirralha” – the Portuguese word for “brat”.