Demonstrations - Berlin police count 550 disruptive actions by climate activists
Last year, the Berlin police were deployed at 550 protest and blockade actions by climate activists. "That's 80 percent more than in the previous year," Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik told the German Press Agency.
Since the protests began almost two years ago, the Berlin police have received a total of 6130 criminal complaints. The majority concerned the Last Generation climate protection group, said Slowik. 138 charges had also been filed against people who attacked the demonstrators, for example drivers who were verbally or physically abusive and dragged blockaders off the road.
Police under massive strain
Slowik went on to say that the main allegations were of coercion, resisting police forces and damage to property. The total number of suspects is 1158, many of whom have been active several times. "Recently, the tactics have changed: from many small blockades to a few larger actions, so-called mass protests," said the police chief.
The police had been put under massive strain by the road blockades and other actions. In total, 320,000 working hours were spent on the streets last year - not including the processing of reports by the officers, said Slowik. "That's as much as the 1,800 police officers in the Berlin task force were on the road in 2022 in the area of road safety."
With regard to disruptive actions such as the spraying of landmarks, Slowik said: "We have to remain realistic. Complete protection of monuments such as the Brandenburg Gate around the clock is not possible given the number of people in our city."
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Source: www.stern.de
