Climate activist Greta Thunberg is once again under scrutiny for what critics are calling a “performance” during her return to France after a failed attempt to reach Gaza by flotilla.
After being blocked by Israeli authorities and sent back to Europe, Thunberg was seen walking through the airport accompanied by police—but her sudden decision to place her hands behind her back as cameras appeared has ignited accusations of political theater.
Thunberg, 22, initially had her arms free at her sides while being escorted. But upon spotting members of the media, she promptly shifted her hands behind her back in a pose that appeared to simulate being handcuffed. The move drew swift comparisons to past incidents, particularly involving high-profile leftist figures accused of similar behavior for the cameras.
Notably, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was criticized in 2022 for appearing to feign being handcuffed during a pro-abortion protest at the U.S. Supreme Court.
While she was not physically restrained, she held her hands behind her back as she was escorted by Capitol Police, only breaking the posture briefly to raise a clenched fist to the crowd. Observers accused her of dramatizing the arrest to create a powerful media moment.
AOC pretended to be in handcuffs when she was escorted away from the Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/QnUP4ZQWxX
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) July 19, 2022
This isn’t the first time Thunberg has faced allegations of staging or exaggerating law enforcement encounters. In January 2023, during a coal mine protest in Germany, footage captured Thunberg laughing and casually interacting with fellow demonstrators and officers before photographers surrounded her for what appeared to be a carefully choreographed moment.
She then assumed a serious expression while the cameras clicked, flanked by officers who made no attempt to restrain her. While police insisted the detention was legitimate and not staged, the visual sequence sparked skepticism.
The latest incident in France only reinforces those doubts for critics who argue Thunberg uses theatrics to manipulate public perception and media coverage of her activism. The moment of mimicked detainment at the airport—absent any actual handcuffs or police constraint—appears calculated to project the image of persecution, a strategy frequently employed by progressive activists to amplify their narratives.