Journalist backs Greta Thunberg in Twitter spat with German rail

A Swedish journalist has supported the teen’s version of events after a photo sparked a Twitter storm.

Greta Thunberg posted a photo of her sitting on a train floor, left. A Swedish journalist took a video of Thunberg sitting on the floor, while the German rail company asked Thunberg to point out she travelled first class on part of her journey. Picture: Greta Thunberg/Alexandra Urisman Otto

A Swedish journalist who travelled on the same trains as Greta Thunberg over the weekend has backed her version of events, after a photo posted by the teen activist created a Twitter storm.

Thunberg, 16, was shamed by a German railway company after she posted a picture of herself sitting on the floor of an “overcrowded” train carriage, without revealing that she was travelling in first class.

Returning home to Sweden on the weekend from a climate summit in Madrid, she suggested in a social media post that she had to sit on the floor during a cross-Europe train journey.

An exchange followed with German railway service Deutsche Bahn, who suggested “it would have been nicer if you had also mentioned the friendly and competent manner in which you were treated by staff at your seat in first class”.

Greta countered on Twitter that she had found a seat at a stop after Frankfurt, which she said was “no problem”.

“Our train from Basel was taken out of traffic. So we sat on the floor of two different trains. After Goettingen I got a seat,” she wrote.

Thunberg’s version of events has been supported by Swedish journalist Alexandra Urisman Otto, who said “we both sat on the floor in two trains … she sat on a regular seat from Göttingen, me and my colleague from Hannover”.

I travelled on the same trains as @GretaThunberg this weekend. We both sat on the floor in two trains (se video in link from the first one). She sat on a regular seat from Göttingen, me and my colleague @rogerturesson from Hannover. https://t.co/cSKO39m9Ug

— Alexandra Urisman Otto (@alexandra_u_o) December 16, 2019

The journalist, from Swedish paper Dagens Nyheter, also shared video of Thunberg sitting on the floor of the packed carriage.

The 2019 Time Person of the Year shared Urisman Otto’s tweet, claiming “since conspiracy theories are running high, here is what happened”.

“Media surprisingly seems to be more interested in a teenagers train travels than the fact that COP25 failed,” Thunberg said.

“Sometimes it’s lucky that you are travelling with journalists who can confirm the story …”

Media surprisingly seems to be more interested in a teenagers train travels than the fact that #COP25 failed.
But since conspiracy theories are running high, here is what happened.
Sometimes it’s lucky that you are traveling with journalists who can confirm the story... https://t.co/Fz0MZavrdH

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 16, 2019

Greta’s journey through Germany was the last leg of a continent-spanning trip which began when she travelled to New York on a yacht in August.

She started a worldwide movement last year when she began to strike from school every Friday to protest government inaction on climate change.

Greta’s run-in with Deutsche Bahn comes days after she attracted sharp criticism for her choice of words in a speech to young climate activists in Turin last Friday.

In the speech, she pledged to put politicians “against the wall” over their lack of action on the issue of climate change.

“World leaders are still trying to run away from their responsibilities, but we have to make sure that they cannot do that,” she said.

Ouch... German Rail responding to Greta tweet: "Thank you for travelling with Deutsche Bahn... It would have been nice had you acknowledged how well and competently our team treated you in your First Class seat." ... 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/hVInNJAZ5H

— Peter R. Neumann (@PeterRNeumann) December 15, 2019

Our train from Basel was taken out of traffic. So we sat on the floor on 2 different trains. After Göttingen I got a seat.This is no problem of course and I never said it was. Overcrowded trains is a great sign because it means the demand for train travel is high!

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 15, 2019

“We will make sure that we put them against the wall and that they will have to do their job and to protect our futures.”

Greta later apologised if her comments were interpreted as a call for violence.

“I said we must hold our leaders accountable and unfortunately said ‘put them against the wall’. That’s Swenglish: ‘att ställa någon mot väggen’ (to put someone against the wall) means to hold someone accountable,” she posted on Twitter.

“That’s what happens when you improvise speeches in a second language. But of course, I apologise if anyone misunderstood this.

“I cannot enough express the fact that I — as well as the entire school strike movement — are against any possible form of violence.

“It goes without saying, but I say it anyway.”

Additional reporting: AFP