environment
Climate protection protests against oil and gas imports
An activist from the “last generation” is prevented by security forces from entering a plant of PCK Raffinerie GmbH not far from Breydin (Brandenburg). Photo: Paul Zinken/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
While many fear that Russia will turn off the oil and gas tap, environmental activists want to take matters into their own hands. Their rabid protest is directed against the import of fossil fuels.
During protests against oil and gas imports, climate protectionists tried to cut off pipeline supplies in Brandenburg and the Rhineland.
On the Druzhba oil pipeline near Schwedt an der Oder, activists closed a check valve by hand, said the group “Last Generation”, which has also been organizing motorway blockades since the beginning of the year.
The police confirmed the incident. A 37-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman who had stuck to the system were involved. Both activists were “taken into care”, said police spokesman Stefan Möhwald. The pipeline operator PCK explained: “The pipelines are currently in operation and not disturbed.” It was unclear whether the flow of oil was temporarily interrupted.
According to the police, there was a similar action in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in northern Rhineland-Palatinate: Two men “had chained themselves to the gas pump station there or glued themselves with glue”. A bolt cutter was used. Gas was not turned off. no damage was caused. Criminal proceedings will be initiated for alleged trespassing. Another similar attempt at Breydin in Brandenburg was prevented by security guards, as a dpa photographer observed.
The protest is directed against the import of fossil fuels such as oil and gas because burning them pollutes the climate. The activists demanded a declaration from Economics Minister Robert Habeck that they would not build any new fossil fuel infrastructure and would not drill for oil in the North Sea.
Because of the war in Ukraine, Habeck is looking for alternatives to gas and oil imports from Russia. Among other things, new landing sites for liquid gas are planned. The international situation was tense on Wednesday, as Russia announced that it would stop gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.