Climate activist Greta Thunberg pleads not guilty in protest case

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was found guilty of disobeying a police order to leave a climate protest in the southern city of Malmo on June 19 and was sentenced to pay a fine, TT news agency reported on Monday.

Thunberg admitted that she had been part of the protest and disobeyed the police order but pleaded not guilty and said that she was acting out of necessity.

"My actions are justifiable," Thunberg told the court, according to the Sydsvenskan newspaper. "I believe that we are in an emergency that threatens life, health and property. Countless people and communities are at risk both in the short term and in the long term."

The fine will be based on Thunberg's reported income and it was not immediately clear how much she would have to pay.

Thunberg was part of a group of protesters that blocked the road for oil trucks in Malmo harbour. She was charged for failing to leave when ordered to do so by police.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Tom Little; Editing by Simon Johnson)