Climate demonstrators are once again causing obstructions on Berlin’s streets – but with a different strategy. The police are also changing their approach. The justice system reacts.
As the group Last Generation continues its protest in Berlin, a court has handed down the harshest punishment yet against a climate protester. A 41-year-old from Cologne is to be sentenced to eight months in prison. According to Last Generation, it is the highest punishment ever handed out to a member of the protest group for sit-ins.
The 41-year-old from North Rhine-Westphalia stated during the trial yesterday that she wanted to continue protesting. Therefore, the court did not see a favorable social prognosis. This would be necessary for a suspended sentence, as a court spokeswoman said. The judgment is not final. According to the spokeswoman, it is the highest sentence to date that the Tiergarten district court has imposed in connection with the actions.
The woman was found guilty of coercion, attempted coercion and resistance to law enforcement officers after taking part in three road blockades in Berlin in October 2022. The court went beyond the prosecutor’s request. They had requested a fine totaling 1,350 euros (90 daily rates of 15 euros each).
Police prevent individual blockades
With a slightly different strategy, the Last Generation continued its protest in the capital. Instead of sitting on the street or sticking to it, demonstrators today held so-called running blockades and walked in front of the traffic with banners. Drivers were forced to follow at walking speed. The police spoke of a total of around 38 actions across the city.
“In some cases we were able to prevent protests,” said a police spokesman. According to him, the police had almost 600 emergency services at their peak to quickly clear the blockades. The police are now increasingly deploying plainclothes officers who are initially indistinguishable from passers-by – and then quickly intervene when action is to take place.
Wegner warns against vigilantism
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner urged drivers not to lose their nerve. “Vigilante justice is not the right answer. We have to keep calm now,” said the CDU politician at the plenary session in the state parliament. “I don’t make any distinctions. If crimes are committed, they must be sanctioned,” he emphasized.
At the same time, he sharply criticized the Last Generation. “The mood on the streets of Berlin has reached a new level. Berliners are really annoyed,” said Wegner. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to ensure that the police and the judiciary act hand in hand and show that the rule of law is serious,” said Wegner.
Drivers become violent
The police also asked road users to remain calm in traffic jams and obstructions. “Our colleagues will try as best as possible to stop the illegal actions using constitutional means or to end them as quickly as possible,” said the police union (GdP).
The police said that drivers attacked demonstrators at Tempelhofer Damm. No further incidents were initially reported, said the police spokesman. Individual drivers had already become violent on Monday at the start of the renewed actions in the capital. A driver who was stuck in a traffic jam resorted to pepper spray.
Protest at the Berlin Marathon too?
According to Last Generation, the intention of the campaign is to be visible in many places in the city. There were five to eight demonstrators per blockade group. The activists are calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels.
So far, the climate protection group has left it open whether it also wants to protest at the Berlin Marathon this weekend. The organizers and the police emphasized on Monday that they hoped things would go smoothly. However, possible disruptions cannot be ruled out. According to their own information, the police have 650 people on duty.
More than 270 re-action ads
According to initial information from the police, the renewed road blockades have led to more than 270 criminal charges since the beginning of the week. It is mainly about coercion in road traffic, sometimes also about resistance to law enforcement officers.
According to its own information, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office has so far brought around 2,460 cases (as of September 15th) against members of the last generation. It was recently said that there are now 74 legally binding judgments. The Tiergarten District Court has made more than 140 judgments so far, and in two cases the accused were acquitted.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
