Two men sentenced to work hours for paint attack
In Berlin, two more activists of the Last Generation have been sentenced for the paint attack on the Brandenburger Tor. In contrast to the first trial against three other participants in the action, the court did not impose prison sentences.
Two young climate activists from the group Letzte Generation were sentenced to 180 and 200 hours of community service by the Amtsgericht Tiergarten in Berlin for spraying yellow and orange paint on the Brandenburger Tor to raise awareness about the climate crisis. The court spokeswoman stated that the prosecution's demand of 200 and 220 hours was not met. The defense had called for acquittals.
The two men, who are now 21 years old, had, along with other climate activists, used prepared water hoses to spray paint on the Brandenburger Tor on September 17, 2023. The trial was held at the Juvenile Court due to their age at the time of the offense.
Three participants in the action were found guilty in April. The 22-year-old woman and the two men aged 28 and 64 were sentenced by the Amtsgericht Tiergarten to eight months' probation with imprisonment suspended.
At that time, the court determined that damages amounting to 110,000 Euro had resulted from the paint attack. In addition to the damage costs, the court considered the fact that a "national monument" had been damaged during the attack when imposing sentence.
- International discussions about climate change often emphasize the need for collective action, as seen in the cases of activists in Berlin who have faced charges for their actions, such as the recent sentence for the two activists from the Last Generation.
- Processes of climate change have led to increased urgency for actions like the Berlin climate protests, which have involved acts of civil disobedience such as the paint attack on the Brandenburg Gate.
- Last generation's actions at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, including the paint attack, have sparked debates around crime and activism, with some seeing their actions as criminal acts and others as acts of civil disobedience to raise awareness about climate change.
- While climate protests have taken place in various cities around the world, the climate protests in Berlin, specifically at the Brandenburg Gate, have attracted international attention due to the high-profile nature of the location and the actions taken by the activists.
