Climate activist protest training
RTL reporters film undercover at the Last Generation
Activists from the Last Generation group have stuck themselves to some of the streets in downtown Hanover and are blocking traffic
© Julian Stratenschulte / DPA
Nationwide, climate protests of the last generation are now taking place almost every day. The recruitment of young people is in full swing. In so-called protest training, the climate activists are prepared for their actions. RTL reporters were there undercover.
By Liv von Boetticher
The currently most valuable trophy of the last generation measures about 30 by 30 centimeters and weighs a few kilos. It’s a piece of street that literally “stuck” to climate activist Raúl Semmler after his last action in Mainz. Now the block of asphalt with the handprint lies in a Cologne meeting room and is admired by the participants of a so-called protest training. The activist himself is obviously proud, images like his taped hand are important for PR purposes.
The last generation has not only become radicalized in recent months, but also professionalized: There are now lectures and training courses nationwide, for example on the right behavior in court proceedings, on tips and tricks for better “manipulation” of the press and drivers, with which the protesters will inevitably be confronted with in the course of a tape blockade, and last but not least about the right way to tape yourself and make it difficult for the police to carry you away. The aim is the greatest possible disruption, the greatest possible damage.
The aim of the climate protest is the greatest possible disruption
The activists are transparent, journalists are welcome at trainings like the one in Cologne. But it is also a fact that the organizer of the workshop, Raúl Semmler, a trained actor, did not respond despite repeated requests and the RTL journalists therefore attended the protest courses undercover for several days.
Presumably, as reporters will later realize, not all Last Generation tactics are meant to be shared with the public. In the training sessions, the participants are repeatedly mentally adjusted to the core message through meditative relaxation exercises: the protest should be peaceful works – Pictures of bleeding hands or the supposedly brutal actions of the police are definitely welcome, they “click well” and are therefore “valuable goods”. The impression of alleged violence against the activists would bring “attention and empathy” – and ultimately donations. In the past year alone, the group claims to have raised more than 900,000 euros for their purposes.
In the protest camp of the climate glue – scene from the RTL report, in which reporters undercover attended a training session of the last generation
© RTL
However, the organizers of the workshop repeatedly emphasized to the participants that the reality in interaction with the police was completely different: one was usually treated “respectfully” by the officers, who also showed “understanding” for the protesters. Every now and then there are even “vegan burgers” in custody, and the “asphalt hand” only came about because Semmler asked the officers to remove the hand “gently” and remove the glue with oil hurt him – but at home he could easily have freed his hand himself with the same means. But pictures of the asphalt block in the hand went viral – and the goal was apparently achieved. At the moment, people also prefer to go to Bavaria to protest, because the state there takes tougher action, the reprisals are greater – and with it the public attention and the associated willingness to donate.
Activists see themselves as a non-violent protest movement
The activists of the last generation see themselves as a non-violent protest movement and demand more ambition when it comes to climate protection, but in the meantime they are also openly calling on their members to cheat: For example, they are currently trying to win new supporters for even more sensational actions, such as the closure of airports or the Turning off pipelines. Since claims for damages in the millions are expected here, the organizers of the workshop recommend presenting oneself as penniless to the authorities and concealing one’s own assets. You can “have significantly more money”, but then just store it “in cash with the neighbor”. There are now “well-prepared structures” to avoid high fines, and interested participants in the protest training are welcome to contact the activists afterwards.
Criticism, on the other hand, is only possible with the group in the direction of politics and society, questioning the actions of the activists themselves is almost impossible, as the RTL reporters learn.
You can see who the people behind the Last Generation group are and what the RTL reporters experienced during their undercover mission tonight on RTL Extra at 10:35 p.m. on RTL.