Last generation
Paint on the Brandenburg Gate – climate activists in court
Members of the Last Generation sprayed paint on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. photo
© Paul Zinken/dpa
The cleaning work after the paint attack on the Brandenburg Gate took weeks and cost thousands of euros. Now two young people are on trial.
Around six months after the color attack on the The first trial against those suspected of being involved in the Brandenburg Gate began in Berlin on Tuesday. Two 20 and 21 year old members of the climate group Last Generation are accused.
Together with twelve other climate activists, the young men are said to have been involved in the action on September 17, 2023, in which the symbolic landmark was sprayed with orange-yellow paint. The public prosecutor’s office accuses them of causing damage to property that is harmful to the public. According to the prosecution, cleaning costs of around 55,000 euros were initially incurred after the attack. The estimated total damage is said to be 115,000 euros.
Before the trial began at the Tiergarten District Court, some members of the climate group gathered in front of the courthouse and held up an orange Last Generation poster.
Trial before a juvenile judge
Due to the young age of the climate activists, the trial will take place before a juvenile judge at the Tiergarten district court. In your case, youth law could still apply. Initially, the court only planned one day of proceedings, so that a verdict could be reached on the same day. However, the defense requested a stay at the start of the trial in order to be able to view files from another trial against other people allegedly involved in the color attack in September 2023.
In November 2023, the Berlin landmark was again the target of a protest by climate activists with orange paint. In this case, according to a spokesman, the public prosecutor’s office has brought charges against two young women aged 22 and 23.