Swedish activist, Activist
Greta Thunberg talks climate, Palestine ... and her love for fun socks
At the @tech4palestine conference in Brussels, The Bupkes interviewed @gretathunberg7607 about the connection between climate justice, Palestine, and other struggles against oppression and dehumanization. Plus, we discover our shared love for fun socks.
What would you have asked Greta?
Get more at thebupkes.com.
(Transcript auto-generated and subject to errors.)
About Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg spoke at the Tech for Palestine Brussels Conference in April and June 2026, where she discussed the connection between climate activism and other social justice issues, including Palestine. She stated that the same values drive her activism for the climate and for Palestine, describing them as part of a fight against the same system that exploits people and nature. Thunberg argued that climate activists cannot ignore injustices such as the situation in Gaza, and she criticized what she described as the complicity of governments, institutions, and companies in enabling genocide. She also said that accusations of antisemitism are used to water down the term and to silence criticism of Israeli policies. In interviews, Thunberg addressed the relationship between ecocide and genocide, stating that the destruction of ecosystems and people's means to survive are methods of oppression. She named Swedish officials and companies, including Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch and Spotify founder Daniel Ek, as examples of those she believes are enabling the conflict. Thunberg also discussed her personal habits, noting that she does not buy new clothes and prefers receiving socks as gifts. She described herself as autistic and said that people sometimes perceive her as serious and angry, though she noted that her friend calls the "Greta effect" a regression of humor to that of a 12-year-old boy.
Transcript (44 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
I
Interviewer0:00
Don't worry, I'm the one feeling nervous. I'm with Greta Thunberg here.
G
Greta Thunberg0:03
I'm with her all the time. She's insufferable.
I
Interviewer0:06
You know, this is what I say. You should... This is what I tell people. I'm with me 24 hours a day. So...
G
Greta Thunberg0:10
Like, you guys don't even know.
I
Interviewer0:12
How exhausting is it?
G
Greta Thunberg0:14
So, you know, one thing that Zionists and their collaborators always criticize climate people like you is, 'Why does Palestine have to be everywhere? Why is Palestine showing up at a climate event? Why can't... Why does it have to be everywhere?'
I
Interviewer0:30
Because there is injustice. It's very weird, funny, coming from Zionists asking, 'Why do we have to talk about Palestine?' Well, if you weren't committing genocide and apartheid, then we wouldn't have to talk about that injustice. But of course it has to be everywhere because we cannot accept genocide. We cannot accept ethnic cleansing and the attempt to systematically annihilate an entire people. Of course not. The same way we also have to bring up Sudan, Congo, and other injustices everywhere.
G
Greta Thunberg1:09
Is there a connection between ecocide and genocide in your mind?
I
Interviewer1:12
As Palestinians know very well, ecocide and genocide go hand in hand. Destruction of ecosystems and destroying people's means to survive and produce food is a way of oppressing people that has been conducted in many places all over the world. So that's why they go hand in hand. Also, the military-industrial complex is one of the main drivers of the climate crisis and ecocide destruction, ecosystem destruction.
G
Greta Thunberg1:41
Yeah.
I
Interviewer1:42
So, on that note that all these things are connected, what do you tell people when you talk about building solidarity across different kinds of groups, different kinds of movements? How does that solidarity actually get built?
G
Greta Thunberg1:53
By conversation and by practicing as you preach, by bringing up these different issues in all those spaces and by actively trying to reach out to other solidarity groups and show how these things are connected because we are stronger together. When it comes down to it, we are all fighting against the same system, the same system that is oppressing people and exploiting people is also systematically destroying and destabilizing our biosphere, our life-supporting systems.
I
Interviewer2:32
One thing that the Bubkiss is very envious of you, Greta, is that you have been labeled as an anti-Semite. Now this is a label that we at the Bubkiss really, really are working so hard to get, and honestly we're very disappointed that we haven't been. What kind of anti-Semite would you say that you are?
G
Greta Thunberg2:51
Well, I'm not.
I
Interviewer2:52
No.
G
Greta Thunberg2:52
[laughter]
I
Interviewer2:53
Anti-Zionist, yeah.
G
Greta Thunberg2:55
Yeah.
I
Interviewer2:56
When you are using that word in that term, it is also such a destructive way to actually address anti-Semitism, which is a real problem, a huge problem. And when you are saying that saying that we shouldn't commit genocide, saying that we shouldn't have apartheid, we shouldn't bomb kids is anti-Semitic, you're completely watering down that term. We can use the example in Sweden, of course. In the government now, the biggest party in the government coalition have done absurdly anti-Semitic remarks. They've said that Jews cannot be Swedish and things like that. They were having book burnings and swastikas in the 90s, and now they are saying that we are anti-Semites because we are saying don't bomb people.
Now another thing the Bubkiss is very envious of you because many of our followers know that we love festive socks. And we just, if you don't mind, if it's not too personal, we'd love to show the audience your socks. Now, is this a very difficult question for you? Are these the only kind of socks that you have? Are you like a big festive sock person?
G
Greta Thunberg4:06
As a climate activist, I don't really buy new clothes. So when people give me festive socks, I get very happy, as like a Christmas gift or so. That's usually the thing I wish for, socks, because that's the only thing you can't get second hand.
I
Interviewer4:24
You are the perfect audience for the Bubkiss because we love, we think socks are the best gift as well.
G
Greta Thunberg4:29
But this is actually a very special day.
I
Interviewer4:31
Yes.
G
Greta Thunberg4:32
It's a day where I'm not wearing odd socks.
I
Interviewer4:35
Oh, you're actually matching socks.
G
Greta Thunberg4:36
Yeah, which is very rare for me. So be honored.
I
Interviewer4:39
And these are ducks, I believe.
G
Greta Thunberg4:41
They're ducks with sunglasses on.
I
Interviewer4:44
Last question, since we are a news satire platform, we have to ask, do you have any favorite jokes? Hard question, I know.
G
Greta Thunberg4:50
Everything is a joke.
I
Interviewer4:52
Everything's a joke.
G
Greta Thunberg4:52
No, like people think that for me, for example, people think I'm very serious and angry all the time. There's this term that sometimes people are using called the Greta effect, when it's like people talking about climate or something.
I
Interviewer5:08
The Greta effect, like one word? The Greta effect?
G
Greta Thunberg5:10
Yeah, and my friend said that the real Greta effect is that I regress people's humor to that of a 12-year-old boy.
I
Interviewer5:21
Excellent. Do you have any examples that are Bubkiss friendly, internet friendly, that you're willing to share?
G
Greta Thunberg5:27
I don't know.
I
Interviewer5:29
Or any Swedish jokes?
G
Greta Thunberg5:31
Any Swedish...
I
Interviewer5:33
I know I'm putting you on the spot here. It's hard. I hate it. People say to us all the time, 'Be funny.' It's not... you can't...
G
Greta Thunberg5:38
I can't. I'm autistic and autistic people don't understand humor, apparently.
I
Interviewer5:44
That's funny in itself.
G
Greta Thunberg5:46
Yeah.
I
Interviewer5:46
All right. Greta, thanks so much.