Greta Thunberg was just 15 in 2018 when she became the face of a generation determined to challenge world leaders over the planet's future.
Her school strikes for climate action inspired millions, transforming a teenager's solitary demonstration in her native Sweden into an international movement.
However, the activist recently found herself at the center of a rather different conversation after a newly released documentary captured her unexpected reaction to the very campaign she helped establish.
Highlights
- Greta Thunberg laughed after learning that Fridays for Future protests were still taking place in Berlin.
- Social media users were divided over whether her remarks mocked the demonstrations or criticized their lack of radicalism.
- The activist also faced backlash over her support for pro-Palestinian causes and criticism of Ed Sheeran.
A brief exchange, followed by an unmistakable burst of laughter, has left netizens puzzled over the meaning behind her remarks.
"She laughed at its lack of radicalism," one person commented.
Greta Thunberg was seen laughing during a discussion about the climate protests that made her famous
On Tanks into the Climate Crisis — How Activism Is Criminalised explores the treatment of activists and the challenges facing protest movements.
Thunberg is among the subjects featured in the documentary, which was brought to audiences by German filmmaker Hubertus Koch on October 28.
During one scene, she was informed that Fridays for Future, the movement through which she encouraged students to skip school on the last day of the week to demand stronger government action against the climate crisis, was still active in Berlin.
Her initial response to the news was, "Is it?"
This was soon followed by laughter as she exclaimed, "Really? They still do that?"
An activist friend sitting beside her also burst into laughter as Thunberg continued reacting to the information.
Her response left some viewers questioning her current relationship with the campaign.
Social media users were divided over Greta Thunberg’s reaction to Fridays for Future
Several netizens criticized Thunberg, interpreting her laughter as dismissive of those still demanding the changes she had called for nearly a decade ago.
"It suddenly isn't a problem anymore. So much for climate emergency. Just shows the credibility that she has," one person remarked.
"Fridays for Future was a cult-like movement from the start whose leaders secretly mocked the protesters back then and now openly mock them on camera," another said.
"Even she knows how deranged her supporters are," commented a third, while a fourth accused Thunberg of using the climate crisis to only "earn herself a fortune."
However, not everyone viewed the footage as evidence that the activist had abandoned environmental causes.
Some argued that her amusement was directed at the nature of the demonstrations rather than the people taking part in them.
"The point is that she finds the FFF protest too nice, too conformist and too middle-class. She laughs at its lack of radicalism. If she is now accused of not caring about climate protection, that is wrong and an oversimplification. What matters to her is the form of protest itself," one user wrote.
Detractors, however, rejected this interpretation, with some shifting their focus to Thunberg's involvement in pro-Palestinian causes.
Thunberg faced multiple arrests while protesting Israel’s military operations in Gaza
Over the past few years, Thunberg has taken part in several demonstrations calling for greater international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
In December 2025, the activist was detained in central London while expressing support for imprisoned Palestine Action members who were participating in a hunger strike.
This came after she had described the group's members as "political prisoners" and joined calls for the charges against them to be dropped.
In October, meanwhile, she was detained by Israeli forces after the country's military intercepted an aid flotilla traveling toward Gaza.
Before that, she had attempted a similar mission in June, but the outcome was much the same.
Thunberg has also voiced her support for Palestine through the entertainment industry.
Greta Thunberg took aim at Ed Sheeran while voicing support for Macklemore over their differing stances on Gaza
Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian statements made during the September 4 and 5 dates at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Sheeran faced considerable backlash following the move, prompting Thunberg to weigh in on the controversy.
"We are witnessing one of the biggest artists in the world being canceled because they tried to 'both-sides' Israel's ge**cide against the Palestinian people," she wrote.
Thunberg went on to describe the development as evidence of a shift in public attitudes toward the conflict.
"This is a clear and undeniable sign that the global consciousness has shifted. The normalization of an apartheid state and the attempts to sanitize or justify its actions will no longer be tolerated," she said.
Thunberg, notably, appeared at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday, November 10, demonstrating that she remains involved in environmental activism.
"She is a train wreck. Children should stay away from fame," a social media user said about Greta Thunberg
