Latest news with #LastGeneration
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Activists try to block Axel Springer media group print site in Berlin
Activists attempted to block access to a print facility of German media group Axel Springer in Berlin late on Wednesday, aiming to disrupt newspaper deliveries. Protesters from the group New Generation parked three vehicles in front of the building and glued themselves to the roofs, a police spokesman said. Authorities on site were directing the activists to relocate to a nearby area that did not obstruct traffic, he added. New Generation, which succeeded the Last Generation protest movement, said on social media that the action was intended to prevent the distribution of Axel Springer newspapers. Apart from Germany's largest tabloid Bild and the Welt broadsheet, Axel Springer also owns Politico, Business Insider, Morning Brew, media outlets in Poland and the German comparison platform Idealo. The group accuses Bild in particular of fuelling social divisions and eroding public trust in democratic institutions through its reporting. It also says the newspaper downplays the urgency of the climate crisis. Last Generation, formed after a climate hunger strike in Berlin, changed its name and relaunched the movement in February, after the group's protest tactics drew widespread criticism and a harsh crackdown from the authorities. The group's aggressive tactics, including sit-down street blockades and efforts to storm airport runways, drew widespread attention and extensive news coverage after the climate activists launched a nationwide campaign in 2022. But the protests also attracted the anger of many Germans, as well as aggressive police investigations. At the beginning of this year, the group announced a change of strategy and a move away from the blockades, which often involved activists gluing themselves to roadways.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German climate activist faces expulsion from Austria after ban
Austria has banned a German climate activist for two years, she said on Monday, adding she would fight the decision, which could see her expelled from the Alpine EU member. Anja Windl, who has been living in Austria for seven years, became known for her protests against climate change, including glueing herself on streets to stop traffic with the Last Generation group. In a decision Windl received last week, the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum issued the two-year ban, giving her one month to leave the country. The ban was issued after the German activist was found to pose a "danger for the public order and security", according to the decision seen by AFP. "This is highly problematic from a democratic perspective," Windl, a 28-year-old psychology student, told AFP, adding she would appeal the ban. "We are moving toward civilisational collapse, and instead of holding those responsible accountable, it is those who have peacefully advocated for the preservation of our livelihoods" who are targeted, she said. Her lawyer, Ralf Niederhammer, said he did not know of any other political activist being banned from Austria. Windl faces no criminal charges, he added. The interior ministry declined to comment on Windl's case but said that a "very precise and objective examination of the relevant facts" takes place before such bans are issued. Last Generation Austria said last year they were ending their protests as they no longer saw "any prospect of success". The group regularly made headlines since 2022 blocking streets and pouring black liquid over a screen protecting Gustav Klimt's masterpiece "Death And Life" in Vienna's Leopold Museum. Among their demands, they had called for climate protection to be enshrined as a fundamental right in the Austrian constitution. Last month, German prosecutors said they had charged five former members of Last Generation with offences including "forming a criminal organisation". Dozens of group members have previously faced criminal charges for offences such as damage to property and trespassing. Some have been convicted and fined, with a handful also given jail sentences of several months. The movement announced in February that it was reorganising itself into two new groups focusing on different climate and environment-related issues -- "Neue Generation" (New Generation) and "Widerstandskollektiv" (Resistance Collective). jza/kym/cw
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Amnesty International criticizes case against German climate group
Amnesty International and other organizations have criticized charges against members of the former climate group Last Generation (Letzte Generation), over allegations of forming a criminal organization. The actions of the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office are disproportionate, said Julia Duchrow, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, adding that the move unfairly stigmatizes and criminalizes the entire climate movement. Duchrow emphasized that even uncomfortable protest is protected by the German constitution and human rights law. Civic engagement can be stifled by such disproportionately repressive measures, leading to deterrence and intimidation, she warned. Prosecutors have charged five members of the former Letzte Generation with suspicion of forming a criminal organization. A district court will decide whether to proceed to trial. If convicted, the activists could face up to five years in prison, or 10 years in severe cases. The group, known for blocking roads and targeting museums in its protests, announced at the end of last year that it was changing its strategy and its name. A nationwide raid in the case in May 2023 sparked sharp criticism and court disputes. At that time, 170 police officers searched 15 properties in seven countries.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German authorities raise charges against climate activist group
Munich prosecutors said on Monday that charges of forming a criminal association have been laid against five members of the former Last Generation (Letzte Generation) climate activist group. A prosecutors' spokeswoman declined to specify the charges to dpa after the group had issued a statement. A district court will decide whether to proceed to trial. Conviction could result in lengthy sentences. The group, which is known for blocking roads and targeting museums in its protests, announced at the end of last year that it was changing its strategy and its name. A nationwide police raid on the group in May 2023 drew criticism and legal action. The courts later ruled that the raid and a phone tap were largely in line with law. Searches were conducted of 15 premises in seven states by around 170 officers under the lead of the Bavarian authorities for combating extremism and terrorism. The group's internet page was also temporarily shut down. Investigators also tapped a phone line used by the group to communicate with the press. This drew condemnation from media organizations. Charges against members of the group of forming a criminal association were previously laid in the north-eastern state of Brandenburg. The charges concerned actions targeting an oil refinery, Berlin's airport and a museum in Potsdam in 2022 and 2023. A decision has yet to be taken on whether to proceed to trial. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck of the Greens condemned the nationwide raid as "completely absurd," and rights organizations described the investigations as an attack on peaceful protest. Activists found guilty on a charge of forming a criminal association could face up to five years in prison, or even 10 in extreme cases. Former group spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs, who is reportedly one of those charged, has described its primary aim as alerting society to the climate crisis. "What do you do if everything is at stake? You form a group and try to sound the alarm," she said in a statement put out after the charges were laid. She described the group as peaceful protestors.
