Climate activists from Last Generation caused street blockades in key locations in several German cities on Friday to protest and demand more action from state leaders in the fight against climate change. In cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden and Braunschweig, protesters stuck to the roads.
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Some wore masks with images of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Transport Minister Volker Wissing and Economy Minister Robert Habeck and held banners reading “We are breaking the law”.
The group explained that the protest draws attention to the government’s “violation of climate protection laws”.
This refers to the German Climate Measures Act, which sets a legally binding goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2045 and reducing carbon emissions.
Across Germany, protests are planned in 26 cities, the group said.
“The federal government is breaking the law and leading our society to collapse,” said group spokeswoman Carla Rochel. “It is our democratic duty to calmly resist it.”
The Last Generation group is advocating for a Citizens’ Assembly to develop measures to phase out the use of fossil fuels in Germany by 2030. Its immediate demands are a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour on German highways and a permanent price of 9 euros for bus and train tickets.
Some of the group’s more provocative protests, such as rappelling down freeway bridges and throwing food at a Claude Monet painting, have sparked debate in recent months. Many leading politicians, including Chancellor Scholz, strongly condemned their actions.
