The protest is loud and angry, but short and futile. The young woman presses the horn of her SUV a few times. She is standing on Amalienstrasse, there is no going forward or back. The beginning of a long queue passes in front of her on Schellingstrasse; the woman will probably be stuck for another half hour.
On Friday afternoon the balance of power in Maxvorstadt was reversed. Fridays for Future (FFF), the youth climate movement, has called for a demonstration. 5,000 participants were registered and 8,500 came, according to the police. The organizers themselves estimate the number at more than 10,000. According to the FFF, Munich is one of more than 240 cities nationwide where demonstrations took place on that day.
The world, says Amrei Küsel from FFF at the rally in front of the Victory Gate, will become a dangerous place the more greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere – “because too many people with responsibility are not doing their job.” The job is: climate protection. “Much, much more needs to happen” in the coming legislative period after the state elections.
The protest comes as a colorful, happy celebration. The climate strike is a demonstration of good humor.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
In addition to young people, many older people are also demonstrating for more climate protection.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
As usual at FFF, there are mainly young people there, but there are also a noticeable number of seniors. You can see it on the faces and read it on some posters: “Climate protection for my grandchildren”, “Oldies for Youngsters”, and a senior citizen with a seat on the edge puts it in great detail on his poster: “Rethink now! Stop the limitless greed more and more of everything with no regard for future generations.”
Martin Kaiser, managing director of Greenpeace, criticized the Bavarian state government for its energy policy and especially Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) two weeks before the state elections. He wants to use “sham debates” about nuclear power to distract from his “failure” to expand renewable energies. The results of the newly built wind turbines are “catastrophic”.
In keeping with the theme, a demonstrator brought a pink poster with a drawn Söder’s head, a wind turbine and an ironic declaration of love: “Markus, I want a wind turbine from you!” Participants repeatedly chant what they think of the CSU, which doesn’t sound flattering at all. But the Greens also receive criticism, even though they are represented with flags.
Five years ago, Greta Thunberg founded Fridays for Future with her school strike. As devastating as the recent storms and forest fires in Europe, America and Africa are; as much as the organizers have to criticize about the policies of the federal and state governments; As great as the demand is for a tightening of the climate law and the promised climate money in order to make the switch to a sustainable energy supply social, the protest comes as a colorful, happy celebration. The climate strike is a demonstration of good humor, despite everything. A self-assurance that many people on the streets can make a difference.
The Sportfreunde Stiller play at the end of the demonstration.
(Photo: Matthias Balk/dpa)
Police officers stand relaxed on the side of the road, and the balcony of a university building near the Siegestor is well populated. There is live music on stage: Paula Carolina plays with a band, and at the end the Sportfreunde Stiller perform.
The loudspeaker and music carts are pulled by rope and muscle power. A huge cargo bike is there as a mobile mini stage with a large sound system: seven wheels in the back, seven in the front, and three men pedal. A senior holds a large banner from a Protestant church community in Solln. He is wearing leather pants and has put the pole of the banner in his trouser pocket. Is stable and protects the muscles. Someone else painted a modified quote from the revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg on a large banner: “Freedom is always the freedom of the next generation.”