climate protest
Last generation: Buschmann draws historical parallels
“What the climate stickers are doing now might be tried next by the citizens of the Reich or radical opponents of abortion,” says Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP). photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa
The Last Generation announces that it intends to shut down Berlin for an indefinite period. The Federal Minister of Justice does not believe that this will help climate protection – and refers to the 1920s and 1930s.
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann (FDP) compares the actions of the climate group Last Generation with the street protests of 100 years ago.
“In the 1920s and 1930s, there were street fights in Berlin because people on the left and right of the political fringe felt empowered to place themselves above the legal system and enforce their own ideas with their fists,” said the FDP politician Editorial Network Germany (RND). “This must not be repeated.”
The last generation has announced that it intends to shut down Berlin indefinitely from Monday. This is how she wants to push through her demands for a radical climate change. On Wednesday she had started with protest marches.
“Exaggerated, aggressive ideas”
Buschmann accused the activists of damaging climate protection with their protests. “Ultimately, the actions of the last generation are damaging their cause,” said Buschmann. The last generation has exaggerated, aggressive ideas about how to achieve their goals. Criminal offenses do not promote climate protection.
The justice minister defended the court rulings against climate activists. “We live in a constitutional state. The same rules apply to everyone.” If it were accepted that part of society, invoking a higher purpose, does not feel bound by the law, then surely more and more groups would claim it as their own. “What the climate stickers are doing now might be tried next by the citizens of the Reich or radical opponents of abortion,” he said.
The last generation was founded in 2021 after a hunger strike and has been blocking traffic again and again since the beginning of 2022. Most of the time, participants get stuck. Among other things, the activists are calling on the federal government to present a plan to achieve the international goal of 1.5 degrees, which is intended to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.