The 44-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in an accident with a concrete mixer. Her rescue was delayed because of a climate protest. Now the criticism of the protest is getting sharper.
The brain death of a cyclist in Berlin has put climate activists under pressure to justify themselves. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser called for decisive action: “When crimes are committed and other people are endangered, every limit of legitimate protest is exceeded,” the SPD politician told the German Press Agency in Berlin on Thursday.
“None of this has anything to do with a democratic debate. The criminals must be prosecuted quickly and consistently.” The police union (GdP) called for a legal ban on the climate protest group “Last Generation” to be examined.
GdP chairman: “We think it’s enough”
In view of the cyclist’s accident in Berlin, it must be clarified quickly how long the rule of law will continue to be enforced, said GdP federal chairman Jochen Kopelke. “The protests of the activists are getting out of hand. We think it’s enough.”
The cyclist was hit and run over by the truck last Monday in Berlin-Wilmersdorf. The 44-year-old suffered such serious injuries that brain death has now been determined. According to current knowledge, those affected do not recover from this – regardless of what measures doctors take. The woman will continue to be treated in intensive care in a clinic, said a police spokesman. The police had previously falsely reported that the woman had died. There was a misunderstanding in the communication, the spokesman said and apologized.
The accident caused a nationwide stir and discussion. According to the fire brigade, a special vehicle that was supposed to help free the injured person under the truck was stuck in a traffic jam on the city highway. This is said to have been triggered by an action by the climate protest group “Last Generation”.
The police are investigating two 63 and 59-year-old climate activists for failing to provide assistance or for the disability of people providing assistance. According to the police, the causal connection to the blockades must be checked – also with experts. The fire brigade assumes that the woman’s rescue was delayed by several minutes because the special vehicle was stuck in traffic. However, a fire brigade spokesman admitted that the formation of a rescue lane was problematic last Monday given the size of the vehicle.
Rescuers had to improvise in the event of an accident
Since the technology was not available, the rescuers at the scene of the accident had to improvise, according to the fire department. This resulted in delays. The fire brigade did not provide any information as to whether this had an impact on the health of the cyclist. It is also generally difficult to make such a statement, said a spokesman. At the same time, he referred to the ongoing investigations.
The group “Last Generation” was dismayed by the news of the woman’s brain death. “It hits us deeply that the cyclist, who was seriously injured in an accident by a concrete mixer in Berlin on Monday, has now been declared brain dead,” said activist Henning Jeschke on Thursday when asked by dpa.
Hostilities against climate activists
The climate activists have been increasingly hostile to social networks since the incident and made directly responsible for the woman’s brain death. “We hear a lot of information, including untruths, spread by the big media. We should stick to certain facts, as we did in the climate catastrophe,” explained Jeschke. “We call on the media to present reality as such without inciting incitement.”
When asked whether the woman’s brain death would change anything about the protests, he said: “As long as our highest political bodies break our common constitution with the announcement, because they are destroying our livelihoods, we will resist peacefully.”
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier does not consider the controversial actions to be effective in the fight against climate change. “The question is whether what we are also seeing these days, food being thrown at valuable paintings or people sticking themselves to the street, really helps the climate goal,” said Steinmeier on Thursday during a visit to Kyoto. “I’m afraid that it will call into question the broad public support for more and more decisive climate protection or rob us of the opportunity to increase this support even more.”
Police arrest stabbers
While the political discussion on how to proceed against climate protesters intensified, the Berlin police continued their investigation into the accident. This also includes the arrest of a man who is said to have stabbed the truck driver at the scene of the accident with a knife. The 48-year-old was caught on Wednesday evening around 8:30 p.m. near the crime scene on Bundesallee. He comes from the homeless milieu, said a police spokeswoman on Thursday. The newspaper “BZ” and the RBB had previously reported.
The 48-year-old should be brought before an examining judge on Thursday. The spokeswoman said he had to decide whether the man would be placed in a psychiatric hospital. According to the police, there are indications of a mental illness in the man. He is said to have stabbed the truck driver. The 64-year-old was taken to the hospital, but according to the police, he was able to leave on Thursday.