They throw tomato soup at Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", mashed potatoes at Monet's "Grainstacks" ("Les Meules") and stick themselves to the streets of Berlin: the actions of environmental activists are currently causing a sensation and excitement in equal measure. The Berlin CDU MP Christopher Förster sees the climate protection protest group "Last Generation" as a criminal organization and a danger to public safety - and has now filed a criminal complaint against them.
"Since January 24, 2022, the members of 'Last Generation' have been committing crimes, some of them serious, in Berlin that pose a significant risk to public safety," writes Förster on Facebook. "The 'last generation' will continue to radicalise. We as a society and the rule of law cannot accept that. They must be stopped now."
The members of the group regularly glue themselves to roads, causing roadblocks and traffic jams for miles. The activists are repeatedly accused of endangering human life - for example, ambulances would get stuck in traffic jams during emergency operations. It cannot be that "offences and endangering human life become a means of political debate," says Förster.
For him, those actions are "not just a side effect, but the targeted focus of the actions". "The sole purpose of this group is to prepare and carry out crimes. There are even training courses on how best to stick yourself and what to do when the police arrive," said the politician.
On Facebook, the CDU MP emphasizes that he has nothing against climate protection, but against what he considers to be undemocratic and dangerous methods used by the group. "Of course, they should be able to exercise our very broad freedom of assembly in order to express their opinion. But within the framework of our laws," he says.
Since the beginning of the year, the Berlin police have recorded 178 operations in connection with "last generation" road blockades. This is reported by the Berliner Morgenpost. There were also at least 24 other police operations due to damage to property and other reasons.
Sources: Christopher Förster Facebook page, Berliner Kurier, Berliner Morgenpost
