Activists convicted of coercion after abseiling action

Demonstrations - Activists convicted of coercion after abseiling action

The Ebersberg District Court has sentenced four environmental activists for coercion following an abseiling action from a highway bridge during the IAA motor show more than two years ago. On Wednesday, three defendants were fined between 675 and 975 euros (two 45-day sentences and one 65-day sentence of 15 euros each). For one woman, who was an adolescent at the time of the crime, the court applied juvenile criminal law and imposed a work requirement of 40 hours.

The trial for the abseiling action over the 94 freeway began in mid-December. As the highway had to be closed for a long time, the Munich II public prosecutor's office accused the defendants, who were 21 to 29 years old at the start of the trial, of 192 counts of coercion.

Two of the accused had abseiled down from the bridge near Poing. They attached a large banner that read, among other things, "Public transport instead of highway expansion".

According to the court, two of the defendants remained on the bridge to secure the other two and film what was happening. The police closed the highway so that it was not possible to drive on towards Munich for some time. According to the court, the traffic jam was at least 800 meters long.

There had already been a date for the main hearing on May 3. However, this had to be suspended for procedural reasons, according to the local court.

In March, the Fürstenfeldbruck district court had already sentenced two other environmental activists for coercion who had also abseiled down from a highway bridge during the IAA motor show. The two were fined between 600 and 900 euros, as was a supporter.

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1. The local court in Bavaria's Ebersberg district is currently dealing with another case involving environmental activists who staged demonstrations during last year's auto show.
2. The environmental policy of expanding highways in Germany remains a contentious issue, with numerous protests and demonstrations taking place across the country.
3. During one such demonstration in Bavaria, a group of activists decided to make their message heard by abseiling from a highway bridge, causing significant traffic disruptions.
4. The demonstration, which took place near Poing, saw several activists lowering themselves from the bridge with banners calling for the promotion of public transportation over highway expansion.
5. In response to these actions, the local court in Ebersberg is now considering charges of coercion against the environmental activists involved.
6. Local authorities have expressed concern that such actions not only violate environmental policy but also pose significant safety risks to drivers and pedestrians on nearby highways, such as the 94 freeway.
7. As the trial for these environmental activists progresses, German authorities will continue to closely monitor demonstrations and protests related to environmental policy, ensuring that public safety and the rule of law are upheld.

Source: www.stern.de