Climate activists no longer want to stick

The pasting campaigns of the “Last Generation” repeatedly met with strong criticism. Now the climate activists want to change their strategy – and choose new forms of protest.

The climate activists of the “Last Generation” no longer want to protest for their goals with adhesive actions in the future. A statement on the “Strategy for 2024” states that other forms of protest will now be chosen. From March onwards, the group wants to call for “disobedient gatherings across the country”.

“Instead of dividing into small groups and blocking roads, we will hold disobedient gatherings with many people.” The “chapter of sticking and roadblocks ends with this.”

In addition, the aim is to “intensify the direct confrontation of those responsible for climate destruction in the future” and to “challenge politicians and other decision-makers publicly and in front of cameras,” the statement reads. “On the other hand, we will increasingly visit places of fossil destruction for our protest, as was the case in the past with protests at oil pipelines, airports or the RWE company premises.”

Road blockade for two years

On January 24, 2022, the “Last Generation” began its road blockades to enforce a radical climate change. There were also protests in museums, stadiums and ministries. The Berlin police alone counted 550 actions last year. The capital’s public prosecutor’s office has conducted 3,700 cases in the past two years. Activists across the country have repeatedly been sentenced to punishment.

Many of those affected by the sticking actions were outraged by the activists, and even Green Party politicians considered their actions counterproductive.

Other protests drown out climate concerns

But recently things have become noticeably quieter around the last generation. In her opinion, the loud farmers’ protests are currently being heard more. “We wonder why our government is so much more open to farmers’ protests than to those of the climate justice movement,” said Lina Johnsen, one of the group’s spokespeople.

The “Last Generation” canceled its next planned “mass blockade” on February 3rd in favor of an action against right-wing extremism. Climate catastrophe and fascism must be “thought together,” the group explained its decision. Due to the shift to the right in Europe, human rights are at risk with regard to refugee movements caused by climate change.