Climate activists in Berlin try to block roads to parliament offices
- Europe
- DPA
- Published Date: 07:04 | 15 December 2022
- Modified Date: 07:09 | 15 December 2022
Demonstrators have tried to block access roads to official buildings in the German capital, in the latest of almost daily protests calling for more action against climate change.
Two small groups of demonstrators sat on streets in front of the parliamentary office buildings in central Berlin at two points on Thursday morning. Some had glued themselves to the road, a police spokesperson said.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Last Generation group has been blocking streets in Berlin and other major cities to fight for a radical change in climate change policy from the government.
In addition, there have been protest actions in museums, stadiums, ministries and at airports.
Amid calls for stricter punishments for those that disrupt public life, the residences of 11 members of the group in different states were searched on Tuesday. The raids were specifically in connection with several attacks by climate activists on an oil refinery in eastern Germany.
One of the country's most influential politicians, Finance Minister and Free Democratic Party (FDP) leader Christian Lindner, on Thursday criticized the actions of Last Generation as "critically dangerous."
He warned that letting the protests carry on could mean democracy itself could be damaged, as they were trying to force through their demands above others in society. This could lead to an "authoritarian model of society," Lindner said in a podcast.