Protests - Climate activists before Farbattacke on World Clock in court
Nine months after a paint attack on the World Time Clock at Berlin's Alexanderplatz, climate demonstrators stood trial. The public prosecutor accuses the four defendants aged 22 to 28 of criminal damage. Members of the climate group Last Generation are alleged to have sprayed orange paint and prepared fire extinguishers on the landmark on October 17, 2023. The prosecution states that they wanted to attract "the greatest possible public attention" through vandalism.
According to the public prosecutor, the paint could only be removed with high-pressure water technology. The costs for the restoration of the well-known tourist attraction are said to amount to at least around 16,000 Euros. The World Time Clock shows the time zones of the Earth and the cities located there. A few weeks before the action at Alexanderplatz, members of Last Generation had sprayed orange paint on the Brandenburg Gate.
Currently, Last Generation is making headlines with actions at airports. On a Wednesday, members reportedly disrupted air traffic at Cologne/Bonn Airport in the morning for approximately three hours. One of the defendants (24) in the current Berlin trial is said to have been involved. Today, the operation at Frankfurt Airport was disrupted for hours by climate demonstrators' glue actions on the runways.
- During the trial, the defendants' attorney argued that the protest action at Alexanderplatz was part of a larger demonstration against climate criminality.
- The paint shop from which the orange paint was allegedly purchased is under investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin.
- The street blockade at Frankfurt Airport caused significant damage to goods and disrupted flights, leading to financial losses for the airport and the airlines.
- Seven days prior to the trial, hundreds of people participated in a peaceful protest action at the Brandenburg Gate, calling for immediate action to combat climate change.
- The court process for the four defendants has sparked heated debates in Germany, with many seeing it as a test case for peaceful protest against climate injustice.
- The World Time Clock, a symbol of unity and interconnectedness, now stands at Alexanderplatz, a stark reminder of the environmental cost of criminality.
- Witnesses at the trial testified that the protest action at Alexanderplatz included a street blockade, with members of Last Generation chanting slogans and raising awareness about the climate crisis.
