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Climate activist Greta Thunberg lashes out at world leaders for using her fame to look good

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 29, 2020, 04:58 PM IST
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Environmental activist Greta Thunberg (file photo) Photograph:(AFP)

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She was recently campaigning for a Swedish radio during coronavirus lockdown where she revealed that German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stood in a line to get a "selfie" with Thunberg in New York

Environment activist Greta Thunberg has hit out on world leaders who wanted to take pictures with her just to "look good". 

The 17-year-old shot to fame after she delivered a powerful speech during the United Nations climate change summit. She was recently campaigning for a Swedish radio during coronavirus lockdown where she revealed that German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, stood in a line to get a "selfie" with Thunberg in New York. 

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She said: “Presidents, prime ministers, kings and princesses came and wanted to talk to me.

“They saw me and suddenly saw the chance that they could take a photo with me for their Instagram account. Then the hashtag #savetheplanet.

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“It seemed as if they had forgotten for a moment to be ashamed that their generation had let future generations down.”

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Even during an interview with the BBC, Thunberg said that she disliked politicians who wanted to capitalise on her fame by being photographed alongside her.

“To be fair, it was not only her, it was many,” she said when asked about the situation with Merkel.

“And those kinds of things happen all the time. People just want to stand next to me and other climate activists.

“They can post it on social media and it makes them look good, it makes them seem like they care.”