Interview
Greta Thunberg: ‘The system that causes genocides destroys biospheres’
Aren’t you afraid, even a little bit? ‘What I am terrified of is the world’s silence.’
“My name is Greta, I’m from Sweden, and I’m an activist like all of you.” Many in the audience smile, because Greta Thunberg hardly needs an introduction. But she behaves like just another activist, mixing with volunteers who have come to Barcelona from 42 countries to prepare for the Global Sumud Flotilla. Or at least she tries to, because there are constant requests for selfies and interviews, and she doesn’t shy away from them.
In a hall in the city center dedicated to the International Brigades that fought against Franco’s fascist insurrection in the 1930s, two days of training are being held for those who will board the boats leaving on Sunday, August 31. Thunberg’s main task is to recount her experience aboard the Madleen, the boat that attempted to break the Israeli blockade in June to deliver aid to Gaza and was captured by Israeli special forces.
After the Madleen came the Handala, intercepted with even greater violence at the end of July, and now it is the Sumud Flotilla’s turn, with dozens of boats departing from Spain, Tunisia, and Italy. Due to the unprecedented scale of the mission, they are moving into uncharted territory, and the risks could be high – especially for someone like Thunberg, who has already been detained and expelled from Israel and is now going back to face the same fate.
But the 22-year-old activist doesn’t look worried: “We can never be certain of the consequences we will face. We carry out very thorough risk assessments all the time, which we use as a basis for adapting our behavior to be as safe as possible on this mission. But the fact is that whatever risks we face are nothing compared to what Palestinians experience daily. The risk they face for the simple fact of existing, or using their voices to spread their stories. What we are doing is the bare minimum.”
Even among those who support the Palestinian cause, there are some who accuse the Global Sumud Flotilla of being a mission of “white saviors” – Western activists seeking attention who end up taking the focus away from the Palestinian people. What would you say to that claim?
First of all, this mission is far from being run by activists from the global North. It is a very broad, international movement. But it is essential to clarify that the Palestinians don’t need us to come and save them. What we are doing is using our bodies, our names, and our privileges to do something concrete and end our complicity in this genocide. And if we can do anything to push people to talk more about Gaza, to send the message that the world has not forgotten Palestine or Gaza, then we must do it.
Based on what happened before, there is a real risk that the Sumud Flotilla’s aid will never reach Gaza.
In organizing this mission, we are listening and responding to the appeals of Palestinians, who are asking the peoples of the free world to act, to end their complicity, and to step up when our governments do not. But we must also remember that this is not just about delivering food, powdered milk, or other aid. A systemic approach is needed. We need an end to the occupation, an end to the state of apartheid. We need everyone in Palestine to be able to live, for everyone to be able to live freely and with justice from the river to the sea. And we need to decolonize the world.
In the environmental movement in some countries, the Palestinian cause is still a controversial one. What led you from your battles for the climate to getting involved in the Palestinian cause?
Many people ask me why I care about Palestine if I am a climate activist. I truly don’t understand how they can’t see the connection. We always act in a way that is consistent with the same values: justice, freedom, sustainability, well-being for humans and the planet. The same system that causes genocides is the one that destroys ecosystems, the biosphere and the atmosphere, destabilizing it. And if we remain united, we are much stronger and much more capable of dismantling those systems. For me, it is the same struggle. We cannot have climate justice without a free Palestine, because we cannot have climate justice without social justice.
Aren’t you afraid, even a little bit?
What I am terrified of is the world’s silence. I am terrified of the fact that we seem to have lost our sense of humanity. That people can go on with their daily lives pretending nothing is happening, while we witness a genocide being streamed live. That is what terrifies me.
Originally published at https://ilmanifesto.it/greta-thunberg-e-lo-stesso-sistema-che-provoca-genocidi-e-distrugge-la-biosfera on 2025-08-30