After yesterday’s airport blockades, climate protection activists from the Last Generation group are planning nationwide protests today. The reason for this is the federal government’s inadequate use of less climate-damaging greenhouse gases, especially in transport, as a spokesman explained at the request of the German Press Agency in Berlin.
In Berlin, the activists blocked traffic in several places. Among other things, more than a dozen activists protested at the roundabout around the Victory Column, as a dpa reporter observed on site. Several people stuck to the road there, blocking Hofjägerallee and Straße des 17. Juni in the direction of the Brandenburg Gate.
After a good hour, traffic at the Victory Column was back to normal. According to the dpa reporter, the police initially had two activists glued to the ground because they did not affect traffic. The so-called Großer Stern is an important intersection in the capital, especially during rush hour traffic, and many commuters also pass there on their way from the Autobahn to the city center.
Meetings in Nuremberg prohibited as a precaution
The city of Nuremberg is now trying to prevent the protests. She has forbidden unannounced sticking actions by general decree. Starting today, for two and a half weeks, it will be ordered “that no lanes may be used at unreported meetings of the “Last Generation” group or similar meetings for climate protests and that participants may not stick, chain, tie down or sit down,” the city said. Anyone who opposes this must expect fines of up to 3,000 euros – “as an organizer or as a manager” even with a year’s imprisonment. “Climate protests that are reported in good time” as well as meetings and demonstrations are not affected.
In Munich there was already a similar general decree at the end of 2022. Stuttgart announced a few days ago that blockades with stickers on important roads will be prohibited until the end of the year.
who the group is
Activists of the last generation had glued themselves to streets again and again, blocking them. There were often long traffic jams, sometimes emergency or rescue vehicles were stuck. The actors are demanding much more decisive climate protection measures from politicians. According to her will, a randomly selected company council is to be convened and measures taken to ensure that Germany can end the climate-damaging use of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
what happened yesterday
On Thursday, the activists paralyzed the airports in Hamburg and Düsseldorf for several hours by overcoming the fences, running onto the runways and sticking themselves close to the runways. In Hamburg, air traffic was completely suspended for a few hours on the first day of vacation. Several flights were diverted or delayed in Düsseldorf. Politicians and police unionists called for stricter security measures and severe consequences.
How the group justifies itself
A spokeswoman for the group regretted the consequences of the actions for the population, but blamed the federal government. “I’m incredibly sorry. I treat everyone, all families, to a well-deserved vacation,” said spokeswoman Lina Johnsen on ARD’s “Tagesthemen”. The protest is very annoying. “We all don’t want to do that.” But: “At the same time, we have to look at what kind of catastrophe we are heading for. And the government doesn’t take it seriously.”
The activist questioned that some forms of protest are criminal. “First of all, criminal is an assessment, and that’s what the courts have to decide in the end. And we don’t have a court order yet,” she said, probably referring to airport blockades. Because of other protests, however, activists have already been sentenced to fines or even imprisonment.
