- Last Generation in Austria Stops Protesting
The Last Generation climate alliance has suspended its protests in Austria. "We no longer see a prospect of success," the alliance announced. For two and a half years, they had been trying to persuade the conservative ÖVP-Green government and citizens to abandon fossil fuels through diverse actions. Now, they acknowledge that "Austria wants to remain stuck in fossil ignorance, accepting responsibility for the deaths of billions of people." The remaining funds will be used to cover the costs of numerous legal proceedings against members of The Last Generation. Individual climate activists may have to pay tens of thousands of euros.
However, the end of the campaign does not mean there will be no more climate protests in Austria - just under a new name. "We're making room for something new to emerge. We've politicized more people than ever before and planted seeds for a peaceful uprising," they stated.
In Germany, The Last Generation will continue to protest
The Last Generation Austria had been making headlines since early 2022 with numerous actions. Climate activists had glued themselves to streets, disrupted shareholders' meetings, interrupted music concerts and theater performances, and recently joined protests at European airports.
In Germany, there are no plans to end the protests, said a spokesperson for The Last Generation, Marion Fabian. She announced that there will be further actions at airports against climate-damaging air traffic, among other things.
The suspension of protests by The Last Generation in Austria doesn't imply a withdrawal from the public sector's climate discourse. Instead, they are reframing their approach, recognizing the need for a "new emergence" within the public sector to foster a broader climate movement.
Despite the shift in strategy in Austria, The Last Generation continues to make an impact in the public sector, with their German counterpart planning to escalate actions against climate-damaging air traffic.
