Berlin records 550 disruptive actions by climate activists
Road blockades, sticky campaigns, paint on monuments and Christmas trees. The protests by climate activists are stirring up emotions and keeping the courts busy. The Berlin police have now taken stock of 2023 and recorded an increase of 80 percent. Opponents of the protests also made themselves liable to prosecution.
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," said Police Commissioner Barbara Slowik. 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 took action against the demonstrators, for example drivers who were verbally or physically abusive and dragged blockaders off the road.
Slowik went on to say that it was mainly allegations 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."
Slowik: Complete protection not possible
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 large number of them in our city."
At Christmas time, the climate protection group Letzte Generation sprayed Christmas trees in several German cities with orange paint. In Berlin, it hit a large Christmas tree in front of the Bundesrat near Potsdamer Platz. Two demonstrators distributed the paint from fire extinguishers and allowed themselves to be filmed and photographed. In September, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was also sprayed. Numerous investigations and trials are underway against members of the group, many of whom have already been convicted. Most recently, the spokesperson for the climate group, Carla Hinrichs, received a suspended sentence of two months in an appeal trial at Frankfurt District Court.
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The international community has shown interest in Berlin's increasing climate protests, with many countries expressing concern over the city's climate policy. Despite the protests, which have seen actions like spraying Christmas trees with orange paint, Berlin's police commissioner, Barbara Slowik, emphasized that complete protection of city landmarks is unattainable due to their large number. The Last Generation climate protection group, a frequent instigator of protests, has faced numerous charges, including coercion and damage to property.
Source: www.ntv.de
