Road blockades in Berlin: Drivers apparently sprayed climate activists with gas

• Climate activists from the “last generation” blocked more than 40 intersections and streets until the evening
• 500 officers are on duty; they can prevent some of the sticking, but in other places it takes one to two hours to come off
• According to the police, the personal details of 229 blockers were recorded; most of them are being reported for coercion and resistance to the police
• A video on

Blockades by the climate protection group “Last Generation” led to significant restrictions on Berlin’s road traffic on Monday. Supporters of the group sat on the roadways in more than 40 locations throughout the day, sometimes even sticking them on.

Motorway exits and federal highways were particularly affected, as the police confirmed to rbb. It was deployed with more than 500 forces. Bus traffic was also affected. “If possible, please use the S-Bahn and U-Bahn,” asked the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) on X (formerly Twitter).

During the morning rush hour around 7:30 a.m., the blockades began at numerous intersections. According to their own information, the police were able to prevent demonstrators from being stuck at seven intersections.

In many places, however, it took one to two hours to remove glued hands. The police also wrote about some “particularly stubborn adhesive mixtures” that led to very long deployments at some intersections. The road is now damaged in some places and still needs to be repaired, it said. A policewoman was slightly injured in one hand during an arrest.

The blockages led to long traffic jams and waiting times. Drivers protested loudly, for example because they had to go to work. It was also observed that individual pedestrians and cyclists praised the blockades. The “Last Generation” thanked the blockers for flowers.

In several cases, angry drivers tried to clear the roads on their own. According to the police, during a blockade in Prenzlauer Berg, a driver sprayed activists with irritant gas and tried to “kick them off the road.”

The “Last Generation” shared a video on He sprays a blocker who sits down right in the face and tries to kick others. But this doesn’t make the road clear. The police say they are aware of the video and are now investigating on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

In Spandau, the police stopped a driver who was trying to remove a climate protester from the street and appealed to X: “We understand if you are annoyed by the protests, but please do not intervene or even use violence.”

The police had previously reported places with blockades. These have now been dissolved again:

• in Pankow at the A114 Prenzlauer Promenade, Granitzstraße, Prenzlauer Allee, Landsberger Allee
• in Tempelhof at Tempelhof S-Bahn station, near the motorway out of town
• in Neukölln im area Grenzallee and Britzer Damm/Hermannstraße at the entrance to the A100.
• in Steglitz on the A103 Saarstraße towards Schöneberg
• in Zoo at Großer Stern and Ernst-Reuter-Platz
• in Kreuzberg on Hallesches Ufer and Kottbusser Tor
• in Charlottenburg am Spandau Dam
• in Alt Treptow on Köpenicker Landstrasse
• in Reinickendorf at Kurt-Schumacher-Platz
• in Tegel on Max-Dorn-Straße

According to rbb information, these blockades were also resolved:

• in Zoo on the corner of Kurfürstenstrasse and Burggrafenstrasse
• in Tempelhof at Tempelhof S-Bahn station

By late afternoon, the personal details of 229 blockers had been recorded, and some were temporarily arrested. In some cases, a judge will now decide whether those arrested will remain in custody, as police spokeswoman Beate Ostertag told rbb.

The “Last Generation” has declared that it will continue its actions until the federal government does more to protect the climate. The protests have already taken place announced last week.

On Sunday, members of the “Last Generation” sprayed the Brandenburg Gate with paint. 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.

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Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, September 18, 23, 8:00 a.m