A video circulating on social media claims that Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined an Indian students’ protest in London demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The video has been shared in the context of ongoing protests against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Fact Check
A reverse image search of keyframes from the viral video led to several news reports and social media posts featuring the same footage.
A Facebook post published by National Herald on July 27, 2026, carried the video and reported that Thunberg had expressed solidarity with student protesters in India. She reportedly described the movement as an example of “people power” and linked the students’ demand for justice to broader struggles for democracy and liberation.
Thunberg made the remarks at a gathering organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI-UK) in London, where she called for international solidarity with the protesters.
Further searches using relevant keywords led to reports published by India Today, NDTV and DW News, which also covered Thunberg’s support for Indian student protesters.
A report published by ThePrint on July 27, 2026, stated that the footage showed Thunberg at an SFI-UK demonstration in London on July 26. The protest was organised to celebrate the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following student-led protests over alleged examination irregularities.
The viral video is old and is not related to the ongoing protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It shows Greta Thunberg expressing solidarity with Indian student protesters at an SFI-UK gathering in London on July 26, 2026, following Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
The claim linking the footage to the current protests against the CEC is therefore misleading.
Fact Check: The video dates back to July 26, 2026, and shows Thunberg expressing solidarity with Indian student protesters at a demonstration organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI-UK). The protest was held following the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities.
Greta Thunberg’s past controversy
Greta Thunberg has previously attracted controversy in India for commenting on domestic political issues. In February 2021, she expressed support for the farmers protesting against the Centre’s agricultural laws and shared a document described as a “toolkit” containing suggested actions to support the agitation.
These included social media campaigns and organising demonstrations near Indian embassies. Her intervention drew criticism from those who viewed foreign activists’ involvement in the protests as interference in India’s internal affairs.
The toolkit controversy intensified after Delhi Police launched an investigation into the document, citing allegations of a wider conspiracy and attempts to create disaffection against the government.
