The Last Generation had long announced major road blockades in Berlin for September. The actions were intended to be a “tipping point.” Ultimately, the blockades were quickly resolved.
Most drivers took the blockades calmly, some complained loudly, and a few became violent. A driver who was stuck in a traffic jam in Berlin on Monday morning even resorted to pepper spray. The climate protection group Last Generation carried out its threats and, after a long break, blocked numerous intersections in Berlin’s rush hour traffic by having demonstrators stick themselves to the streets. Some of them could only be relieved and carried away by police officers after hours. The climate protectors received support from some cyclists and pedestrians.
On Sunday, the Last Generation sprayed a large area of the Brandenburg Gate with orange paint from fire extinguishers. The cleaning began on Sunday. By the weekend’s marathon, “the color pigments (…) should be completely removed from the sandstone” and the gate should be clean again.
The police spoke of 20 road and intersection blockades and 7 attempted blockades that were prevented by police officers. There were disruptions and traffic jams on many thoroughfares during rush hour traffic. Several motorway exits, various federal highways and also bus traffic were affected. “If possible, please use the S-Bahn and U-Bahn,” asked the transport company (BVG).
More than 150 blockers
According to a police spokeswoman, 155 blockers were identified. Many had stuck to the street. Most of them are reported for coercion and resisting the police. The blockades on thoroughfares in numerous parts of the city began around 7 a.m. Many streets were already clear again by 9 a.m. because the police were able to use cooking oil to remove the superglue-attached hands of the blockers.
According to the police, in some places the demonstrators are using a particularly stubborn adhesive mixture, the use of which is described in detail by Last Generation on its website. The removal took longer there. “The road is damaged in some places and still needs repairs,” police wrote. Up to 500 police officers were on duty throughout the day, it was said.
Many drivers protested because they had to go to work. On Frankfurter Allee, a man with gray hair shouted to the blockers: “Keep it up, with your help the AfD will get over 25 percent. You are taking drivers hostage and committing crimes.” One of the stuck blockers, a young man with a beard, loudly discussed and gave a long lecture about the global dangers of climate change and called on all bystanders to protest. A young woman pushed her bike past and called out to the five blockers: “Thank you for being so brave.”
Meanwhile, police officers kneeling on the street patiently released one blocker’s finger after another from the asphalt. Finally they led or carried people off the street, the young man with the beard contorted his face in pain. The demonstrators then sat together on the sidewalk, a young woman crying.
Aggressive driver with irritant gas
In individual cases, angry drivers tried to clear the streets on their own. During a blockade in Prenzlauer Berg, a man sprayed demonstrators with gas and tried to kick them, police reported. The Last Generation posted a video that showed a man spraying several blockers who were still standing and shouting, “Get away, you bums.” He sprayed a blocker who sat down directly in the face. However, this did not clear the road. The police are aware of the video and are investigating grievous bodily harm.
In Spandau, the police stopped a driver who was trying to remove a climate protester from the street. She appealed: “We understand if you are annoyed by the protests, but please do not intervene or even use violence.”
Criticism of the action at the Brandenburg Gate
The spraying of the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday caused a lack of understanding and some harsh criticism. 14 members of the Last Generation were subsequently arrested. Two of them were brought before a judge on Monday. One was released because he assured that he would no longer take part in the actions. Another remained in so-called police custody until Monday evening.
In addition to road blockades since the beginning of 2022, climate activists’ actions have repeatedly included color attacks. In Berlin they defaced, among other things, the Basic Law Monument, party headquarters, luxury stores and a private plane. The group demands that Germany stop using fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas from 2030. The federal government is aiming for a climate-neutral economy by 2045.
454 liters of cooking oil to remove
The Last Generation announced protests and blockades for the entire week. It is not yet clear whether she also has the marathon races for skaters on Saturday and runners on Sunday in her sights. However, unlike the climate protection movement Fridays for Future, which mobilized more than 12,000 demonstrators in Berlin on Friday, only a few hundred people are still active in the Last Generation.
At the Berlin public prosecutor’s office, their protest has now led to almost 2,500 investigations (as of September 15th). The Berlin police have collected more than 480,000 operational hours on the topic since 2022. 454 liters of rapeseed and sunflower oil were used to loosen the stuck demonstrators.