Gary Lineker bizarrely spews 'we've lost our minds' as he condemns Greta Thunberg arrest

Gary Lineker bizarrely spews 'we've lost our minds' as he condemns Greta Thunberg arrest

WATCH NOW: Greta Thunberg is arrested in London

Alex Davies

By Alex Davies


Published: 19/10/2023

- 12:42

Updated: 19/10/2023

- 12:56

Eco-warrior Greta Thunberg was arrested by police on Tuesday

Gary Lineker has sparked a furious reaction from X - formerly known as Twitter - users after sharing his thoughts on eco-activist Greta Thunberg's recent arrest.

The Swedish climate campaigner was detained by police following a demonstration by Fossil Free London outside the InterContinental Hotel on Park Lane.


Thunberg and fellow eco-warriors targeted the location on Tuesday, October 17 as oil executives were believed to be meeting there.

The 20-year-old has since been charged with a public order offence but proved she wasn't deterred by the punishment as she rejoined campaigners outside JP Morgan offices in Canary Wharf on Thursday.

Footage of Thunberg's arrest and her speech aimed at the fossil fuel industry was recorded and shared on X by Greenpeace following her arrest.

The video has now been shared on the social media platform by Match of the Day presenter Lineker who made clear his stance on the incident as he typed alongside the clip: "We’ve lost our minds."

Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg was arrested on Tuesday during a climate protest

GETTY

Before long, hundreds of social media users reacted to Lineker's post - with many highlighting the fact he's remained silent on the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict.

Lineker, who's never been one to shy away from wading into contentious political debate online, hasn't addressed the conflict in the Middle East while his employer the BBC has come under fire for refusing to label Hamas as "terrorists".

Keen to highlight that point, one fan responded to Lineker's Thunberg tweet: "Oh here he is!!! You’ve been quiet recently."

"After a quiet couple of weeks...Lineker is back climate whinging," a second said while a third sarcastically commented: "We wondered where you went Gary.

"No comment regarding the brutal savagery of Hamas in Israel... yet you stand with a disillusioned teenager," they argued.

"Gary speaks. He’s aliiiiiivvvve," another weighed in while a fifth blasted: "He’s back folks hooray Saint Gary is back to enlighten us all err Hamas Gaz any thoughts we’re ALL waiting for your wisdom."

Lineker did garner some support with his stance, however, as a number of followers agreed with the post and one even commented: "Couldn't agree more! It feels like 'crazy town' these days." (sic)

At the time of Thunberg's arrest, the Met Police also confirmed that 27 protesters were arrested and 26 charged overall.

Gary Lineker smiling

Gary Lineker has been slammed for weighing into Thunberg arrest row

PA

As well as his continued silence on the horrors unfolding in Israel and Gaza, Lineker sparked a national debate about BBC employees' use of social media after he slammed Suella Braverman's illegal migration bill back in March.

He tweeted at the time: "There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.

"This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?"

His use of language led to him briefly being taken off air at the Beeb, meaning Match of the Day went without any talent hosting the show that week.

The BBC published a new set of guidelines about its employees and what they can and can't say on social media back in September as a result, something Lineker praised as "very sensible".

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