Greta Thunberg arrested during protest in London

Activist Greta Thunberg has been detained by police at a climate protest outside a hotel in central London.

Protesters from Fossil Free London were demonstrating outside London's InterContinental hotel today (17 October) ahead of the Energy Intelligence Forum, a gathering between Shell, Total, Equinor, Saudi Aramco, and other oil giants.

Police said six people have been arrested at the climate protest.

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A Met statement said: "Officers have been on scene since this morning with a group of protestors in the road outside a hotel in Park Lane, W1.

"We have had continued discussions with the protestors and there have been interventions by officers to enable members of the public safe access in and out of the venue. Six people were arrested for obstruction of the highway.

"Officers on scene have kept this under constant review and at 1232 imposed conditions on the group under section 14 of the Public Order Act given to prevent serious disruption to the community, hotel and guests.

"Officers asked the protestors to move from the road onto the pavement, which would enable them to continue with their demonstration without breaching the conditions.

"A number of protestors failed to do so and we have now made a further 14 arrests for section 14 of the public order act and a further one for criminal damage.

"Officers remain on scene."

Images circulating around social media show the 20-year-old Swedish activist being led away by police officers and placed in the back of a marked van, outside the InterContinental on Park Lane.

Fossil Free London - organisers of the protest - posted on X (Twitter): “Breaking - Greta Thunberg has just been arrested.”

On the day, Thunberg told reporters: "The world is drowning in fossil fuels.

"Our hopes and dreams and lives are being washed away by a flood of greenwashing and lies.

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"It has been clear for decades that the fossil fuel industries were well aware of the consequences of their business models, and yet, they have done nothing.

"The opposite - they have actively delayed, distracted and denied the causes of the climate crisis and spread doubts about their own engagement in it."

She was part of the protestors who formed around the hotel building with banners reading, 'Make big oil pay,' whilst chanting 'oil money out', and 'cancel the conference'.

Activists were kept away from the venue entrance with a white fence surrounding the area.

Thunberg added: "We cannot let this continue. The elite of the oil and money conference, they have no intention of transition.

"Their plan is to continue this destructive search of profits. That is why we have to take direct action to stop this and to kick oil money out of politics.

"We have no other option but to put our bodies outside this conference and to physically disrupt. And we have to do that every time, we have to continue showing them that they are not going to get away with this."

Lauren McDonald, a campaigner against Rosebank, said: "The only reason that they continue to pursue this is for profit. There is no justification for this."

More to follow.