According to a survey, a large majority of Germans consider the protests by the climate group "Last Generation" to be counterproductive. 86 percent of those surveyed found that the activists with their actions such as road blockades are damaging the cause of climate protection, as a representative survey by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of the "Augsburger Allgemeine" revealed. Only seven percent believe that the campaigns will help protect the climate, and another seven percent were undecided.
The CDU domestic politician Christoph de Vries called for the "last generation" to be monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. "There is no longer any differentiation from left-wing extremist groups. This dissolution of boundaries and radicalization within a short period of time is extremely dangerous," said de Vries of "Bild". He demanded that the state react decisively "with an observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and tougher penalties".
The "last generation" now has "typical characteristics of an extremist organization," criticized the CDU politician. "They see crimes to achieve their own political goals as a legitimate means."
Previously, the "Last Generation" had published a declaration of solidarity on its website with the headline "Protecting the climate is not a crime". The Interventionist Left, which the Office for the Protection of the Constitution lists as an object of observation, is named as the first signatory of dozens of supporter organizations. The "Bild" had first reported on this.
The "Last Generation" has recently repeatedly blocked roads in protest. The debate about the actions was recently fueled by the death of a cyclist in Berlin. The woman was run over by a cement mixer last week and died a few days later. A special vehicle from the fire brigade, which was supposed to help free the injured, was stuck in a traffic jam that was said to have been triggered by the climate protest. However, the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" reported, citing an application note, that the emergency doctor did not believe that the delayed car had any effect on the rescue of the seriously injured woman.
Numerous politicians are calling for tougher action against the blockers. Despite this, the group intends to continue its protest actions.
Of the approximately 5,000 respondents to the Civey survey, 81 percent thought the actions of the activists were wrong, and only 14 percent thought the protest was right, as the survey conducted online at the beginning of November further revealed. There was still the most approval among the voters of the Greens (40 percent) and the Left (34 percent). Rejection was 97 percent among CDU/CSU voters.
Criticism of RAF comparison
The Greens parliamentary group leader Konstantin von Notz distanced himself from the actions of the "last generation", but at the same time expressed surprise at some criticism from the Union. "Anyone who equates the protests and actions, which I explicitly do not approve of, with those of the RAF, which is responsible for the murder of numerous people, has completely lost measure and center in the discussion," von Notz told the newspapers of the Funke media group .
The head of the CSU deputy in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, had demanded that the emergence of a "climate RAF" must be prevented. Dobrindt was referring to the Red Army Faction (RAF). For decades, the RAF was considered the epitome of terror and murder in the Federal Republic. More than 30 people fell victim to left-wing terrorists between the 1970s and the early 1990s.
Von Notz also rejected calls from the Union for tightening of the law, saying that the CDU/CSU shot “far beyond the mark”. "Because of course our constitutional state already has a comprehensive range of instruments at its disposal, which is definitely used." According to CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja, the Union faction in the Bundestag wants to introduce a motion for tougher penalties for climate activists.
"misjudgment of our political system"
The lawyer and RAF expert Butz Peters told the editorial network Germany (RND): "RAF is very high in this context." Because they deliberately killed people "with the idea that this could change the political system in the Federal Republic - while those we are talking about are letting parts of the road traffic in our big cities collapse in the idea that this will enable them to achieve their climate goals". . However, Peters sees "a very clear parallel in the misjudgment of our political system". After all, in representative democracy everyone can vote and be elected. "Anyone who thinks they can do without it and use force to achieve their goals is leaving the consensus of the Democrats."
The son of Attorney General Siegfried Buback, who was killed by the RAF in 1977, Michael Buback told RND that he understood that young people were very concerned. "But I warn against trying to achieve goals with radical measures and violence. That has only brought us bad luck." He was "reluctant to compare the activities of any group with the RAF because it was particularly cruel and evil," he added. "But I see ideologically based massive interference with the rights of others."
