Greta Thunberg has revealed that she no longer feels safe in Sweden and is ready to leave her home country soon . "My plan is to live out of a backpack and sleep on the floors of friends' kitchens ," she said.
The activist was interviewed by the Swedish newspaper Dagens Etc ahead of the release of a documentary that followed her activism and that of the "Fridays for Future" movement over the course of 7 years.
The story begins when, at 15, Thunberg began skipping school one day a week to sit in front of the parliament in Stockholm, demanding politicians take action to combat climate change. The movement that grew out of the "Friday strike" led to her being named by Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world —applauded by many but also hated. Despite her young age, she received widespread criticism on social media and even death threats, which she and her classmates fear will return with the release of the film.
Now 23, Greta Thunberg is studying remotely to become a nurse's assistant and continues her commitment to environmental and human rights activism: from supporting the indigenous Saami to the population of Gaza with the flotilla, initiatives that have made her an even more central figure in the debate.
" The film tells the story of how we went from being supported by society to being branded as terrorists . Now it's easier to dismiss our opinions, as if we were crazy and not worth listening to," Thunberg remarked.
In the past, she had stated that Sweden was one of the safest countries to be an activist, but no longer: "We see a similar development to that in many other places. A fascist wave is spreading that is extremely hostile toward those of us who believe in empathy and act accordingly, and want research to be listened to," Thunberg emphasized.
The film 'Strejkarna' (The Strikers), directed by Helana Molin, will be released in Swedish cinemas on May 15.
(Unioneonline/vl)
