Last Generation (climate movement)

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Last Generation
Established2021
TypeNGO
FocusClimate activism
Direct action
Websiteletztegeneration.org
RemarksGerman translation: Letzte Generation
Road blocks at Berlin Central station (2022)
Climate protesters sitting on Straße des 17. Juni, Berlin, on 28 October 2023 as part of the Letzte Generation Massen­blockade
Cessna CJ1, the type of private jet Letzte Generation sprayed with orange paint on Sylt in 2023

The Last Generation (German: Letzte Generation, pronounced [ˈlɛt͡stə ˌɡeːnəʁaˈt͡sjoːn], Italian: Ultima Generazione) is a group of climate change activists using form of direct actions mostly active in Germany, France, Italy, UK and Poland.

The civil disobedience methods of the group have met with mixed reactions from the public,[1] including expressions of outrage[2][3] and threats of violence.[4] Conservative and far-right politicians in Germany repeatedly described the group as "criminal" and called on public prosecutors and the police to take action against them. In May 2023, a Bavarian court approved an investigation against the Last Generation because of "suspicion of criminal association". Authorities carried out a nationwide search of the activist's house, computers and the donation account was confiscated and the original homepage was shut down.[5]

Last Generation describes itself as an "alliance" and was formed in 2021 from participants in the Hungerstreik der letzten Generation [de] ("last generation hunger strike"). The term was chosen because they considered themselves to be the last generation before tipping points in the earth's climate system would be reached.[6]

Since their formation in 2021, they have staged direct non-violent actions including numerous road blockades (276 in Germany over the course of 2022)[7] and using paint to vandalise yachts, notorious paintings, buildings, restaurants and private jets.

In Rome, they threw soup at a van Gogh painting behind glass, called The Sower [it].[8][9][10] In Potsdam, they threw mashed potatoes onto a Monet painting.[11] None of the artworks they attacked were damaged.[3]

In Germany the group has three central demands: a speed limit of 100 km/h on Autobahnen, a cheap universal ticket for nationwide public transport and a "social council" with 160 drawn members, which will make a plan to end the use of fossil fuels in Germany by 2030.[12][13]

In a strategy paper published in January 2024, the group announced that it would no longer conduct road block protests.[14] On 7 February 2024, the group has announced its intention to contest the 2024 EU Parliament elections.[15] This new direction was widely reported.[16]

Goals and topics[edit]

Activists from the Last Generation bring speed limit 100 km/h signs to the German Ministry of Transport.

The group states that there is a climate emergency and that the cost of solving it should be borne by those with high income. The group further demands a debt cut and payments to states of the Global South as compensation for climate change,[17] the introduction of a general speed limit of 100 km/h on the autobahn,[18][19][20] and a permanent 9-Euro-Ticket.[19] It claims that the German government is knowingly breaking its own climate protection goals.[21]

In early 2023, the group declared the Democratic process to be unfit for dealing with the climate crisis and demanded the implementation of "Society councils" to work out emergency measures. The members of those councils should be selected by sortition from various backgrounds and age classes. Existing conventional political institutions would be obliged to implement the councils' decisions exactly as agreed.[22][23]

In January 2024, the group announced that it would no longer stage road blockades, shifting instead to what it called "disobedient public assemblies" and increase protests at facilities such as oil pipelines, energy company headquarters and airports.[14]

History of actions[edit]

A Freiburg emergency doctor uses solving agent to remove the palm of a Last Generation activist from street asphalt. The back of the activist's hand shows text about the glue (2022).
A young Letzte Generation activist with his hand caked in cyanoacrylate glue and sand following removal by the Berlin police using acetone solvent (2023)
A Letzte Generation activist sits silent at the Massen­blockade in Berlin on 28 Oct­ober 2023, surrounded by police, after gluing her hand to the road surface and having it freed

The Last Generation's main method is road blockades. At the beginning of the movement, the group also frequently distributed food from dumpsters for free. Both methods were used in early 2022 to support their demand for a law against food loss and waste.[2][24]

The Last Generation performed about 370 actions between January and October 2022.[25][26]

An Aztec airplane of the type vandalised by Letzte Generation in Berlin in May 2023

In October 2022, two Last Generation activists threw mashed potatoes at a Monet painting behind glass, titled Haystacks, part of a collection founded by Hasso Plattner, a German billionaire, at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany.[27] Plattner had reportedly paid 111 million euros for the painting in 2019.[11] The painting was left undamaged. However, the museum stated that the frame was damaged, and estimated that its restoration would incur a five-figure cost in euros.[28] In November 2022, the Last Generation threw soup at 'The Sower' by Vincent van Gogh, also behind glass, at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome, Italy. The painting, which was on loan from the Dutch Kröller-Müller Museum, suffered no damage,[8][9][10] like another van Gogh painting targeted by a similar protest by Just Stop Oil two weeks earlier in London.[29]

The group also blockaded highways, such as in Berlin.[30] In February 2023, motorists attempted to remove Last Generation protesters from a motorway near the event venue ICC Berlin, with one car driver running over a protester's foot. The police were at the scene[31] and initiated criminal proceedings against the driver, on suspicion of simple bodily harm.[32]

In April 2023, the group protested at the Berlin ePrix, a Formula E electric car race, by gluing themselves to the track and support vehicles right before the start.[33] That same month, the use by police of pain compliance techniques to disperse a Letzte Generation road blockade came under public and legal scrutiny in Germany.[34][4]

In May 2023, Letzte Generation spray-painted a Piper PA-23 'Aztec' private airplane at Berlin airport,[35][36] causing an estimated 72,000 euros worth of damage to the aircraft.[37] In the same month, in Vienna, an emergency patient died in congestion caused by the group. A speaker of the group stated that it had made the mistake of not informing the ambulance service centre.[38]

On 23 May 2023, two activists from the group poured mud over themselves outside the Senate building in Rome to protest fossil fuel use. They also drew attention to the devastating effects of floods linked to climate change, such as those which had recently hit the Emilia-Romagna region. The group had previously poured black liquid into the Trevi Fountain in Rome and glued themselves to a piece of art in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.[39]

First note from the Munich General Prosecutor's Office, describing the group as 'criminal'. That wording was later removed.

In May 2023, some 170 police officers conducted raids on flats around Germany, shutting down the group's website, and freezing accounts linked to the group.[40] The investigation was being led by the Bavarian central office for combating extremism and terrorism.[41] The authorities claimed the group was using the website to raise funds for "further criminal acts", stating at least 1.4 million euros had been collected.[42] Two of the group's members were alleged to have planned an attack on an oil pipeline in Bavaria.[43]

In June 2023, shortly after an announcement by the group that it would soon carry out a string of actions specifically targeting "the rich", who in their view contributed overproportionately to climate change,[44] sprayed orange paint onto a private jet (reported as make Cessna CJ1) in Sylt,[45] as well as several buildings.[46] The same month, it spray-painted the Lady M, a 30-metre private yacht of a German company owner on the German Baltic coast.[47]

Brandenburg Gate vandalised by Last Generation activists with orange paint on 17 September 2023

On 25 June 2023, the Munich public prosecutor's office confirmed that German investigators have been tapping and monitoring several communications from the climate activist group, following revelations in the German press about the case.[48]

Two activists from the Last Generation group in Italy were detained in February 2024 after they stuck several photographs of flooding on Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus displayed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.[49] They demanded a €20 billion fund to help climate disaster victims.[50]

Funding[edit]

According to its own statements, the group is mainly financed by donations or crowdfunding. In early 2022 it released a transparency report, according to which in 2021 it had received more than 900,000 euros in donations and spent around 535,000 euros.[51]

In late 2022, the Axel Springer newspaper Welt am Sonntag published a story, according to which Last Generation pays some activists up to 1,300 euros per month. The money is paid out by an organisation called "Wandelbündnis" in Berlin, but originates from the Climate Emergency Fund in the United States.[52]

Last Generation (Germany, Austria, and Italy) are part of the A22 network funded by the Climate Emergency Fund,[53][54] together with Renovate Switzerland, Dernière Rénovation [fr] in France, Just Stop Oil in the UK (Stopp oljeletinga [no] in Norway), and other groups in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and the US.[53]

Controversy[edit]

Two Last Generation activists did not appear in court in Bad Cannstatt, Baden-Württemberg state in early 2023. They were on trial for blocking a federal highway in late 2022. News reports emerged that they had flown to Bali, Indonesia on holiday. However, the Last Generation issued a statement pointing out that their members had actually travelled to Thailand and that this had been agreed to by the court. They booked the flights as private individuals, not as activists, the group said. These two things should be treated differently, the statement went on.[55][56]

Reception[edit]

In 2022 the Association for the German Language chose "Climate-terrorist" as Un-word of the year 2022. The expression was used in public discourse to discredit activists and their protests for more climate protection, the jury justified their choice. Member of Last Generation were titled as Climate-terrorists. Some politicians spoke about a "Climate-RAF" or "Green RAF", referring to German post-war terrorist movement Red Army Faction.[57] The term "Green RAF" was first used by climate activist Tadzio Müller in 2021.[57][58]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Connolly, Kate (2023-05-24). "German police stage nationwide raids against climate activists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  2. ^ a b Naujokat, Anita (2022-02-04). "Klimaaktivisten kleben sich auf der Straße fest". Sueddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  3. ^ a b "German Last Generation group not a threat to democracy". Deutsche Welle. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  4. ^ a b "Schmerzgriffe und Selbstjustiz gegen die "Letzte Generation" – Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung". www.rosalux.de (in German). 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  5. ^ mdr.de. ""Letzte Generation" erfüllt Voraussetzungen für kriminelle Vereinigung | MDR.DE". www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  6. ^ Wittenberg, Lucie (2023-05-25). ""Zeitenwende" der Klimabewegung? Was nach den Razzien bei der Letzten Generation passieren könnte". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  7. ^ Kühn, Timm (2022-12-27). "Verdacht auf kriminelle Vereinigung: Selbstanklage für den Klimaschutz". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
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  9. ^ a b Armstrong, Mark (2022-11-04). "Climate activists throw soup at Van Gogh painting in Rome". euronews. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
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  11. ^ a b Kühn, Timm (2022-10-24). "Letzte Generation bewirft Monet-Bild: Was kommt nach der Aufmerksamkeit?". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  12. ^ "Finanzierung, Ziele, Aktionen: Die Hintergründe zur Klimaschutzgruppe "Letzte Generation"". swr.online (in German). 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
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  19. ^ a b ""Letzte Generation": "Wir sind der Überlebenswille dieser Gesellschaft"". www.fr.de (in German). 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  20. ^ "Forderungen". Letzte Generation 🧡 (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  21. ^ "Last Generation activists pose as politicians to block roads". Deutsche Welle. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  22. ^ Bröning, Michael. "Betreutes Denken: Weshalb die Letzte Generation die offene Debatte verhindert". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  23. ^ "Gesellschaftsrat + Fragen & Antworten". letztegeneration.de. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
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  28. ^ "Museum Barberini schätzt Schaden an Bilderrahmen auf fünfstellige Summe". rbb (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  29. ^ Gayle, Damien (2022-10-14). "Just Stop Oil activists throw soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  30. ^ Salmen, Ingo. "Blockade statt Hungerstreik: Klimaaktivisten versperren Zufahrten zu Berliner Autobahnen – 24 Festnahmen". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  31. ^ "Autofahrer fährt über Fuß von Aktivist der "Letzten Generation"". www.rbb24.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  32. ^ "Angry motorists attack Last Generation activists, driving vehicle over foot". Exberliner. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  33. ^ Bulitta, Marco; Seiwert, Robert; Wester, Arno (2023-04-23). "Formel E Berlin: Irre! Klima-Chaoten stürmen Startaufstellung". Motorsport Magazin (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  34. ^ Fröhlich, Alexander. "Vorgehen wird geprüft: Polizei in Berlin wendet Schmerzgriff an – Klimablockierer schreit". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  35. ^ Himmelspach, Pablo (2023-05-06). ""Letzte Generation" verwechselt Propellerflieger mit Privatjet". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  36. ^ Scholz, Dieter (2023-05-10). "Peinliche Klimaaktion: Die Details zum besprühten Flugzeug am BER". www.airliners.de. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  37. ^ "Interview mit René Byrholt, einem der sechs Eigentümer der dänischen Piper Aztec, die am Flughafen BER das Ziel einer Farbattacke der "Letzten Generation" wurde". aopa.de (in German). 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  38. ^ Dittrich, Robin (2023-05-17). "Rettungswagen blockiert: Mann stirbt während Klimastreik – "Letzte Generation" räumt Fehler ein". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  39. ^ "Climate activists smear themselves with mud to evoke flooding in Italy". AP News. May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  40. ^ McGuinness, Damien; Kirby, Paul (2023-05-24). "German climate activists raided for forming 'criminal group'". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  41. ^ "Nancy Faeser: Der Rechtsstaat lässt sich nicht auf der Nase herumtanzen". FAZ.NET (in German). 2023-05-24. ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  42. ^ "German police stage nationwide raids against climate activists". RFI. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  43. ^ Brady, Kate (14 May 2023). "Germany conducts raids against climate activists, alleging criminality". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  44. ^ "Letzte Generation besprüht Privatjet auf Sylt". n-tv.de (in German). 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  45. ^ "Aktivisten beschmieren Privatjet: So hoch ist der Schaden". T-online. 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  46. ^ NDR. "Farbattacke auf Sylter Hotel: "Letzte Generation"-Mitglieder wieder frei". www.ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  47. ^ Binde, Nico (2023-06-23). "Letzte Generation: Anschlag auf Yacht von Pinneberger Unternehmerin (85)". www.abendblatt.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  48. ^ "Promotoria alemã confirma grampos contra ativistas do clima". G1. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  49. ^ "Climate protesters in Italy target Botticelli painting – DW – 02/13/2024". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  50. ^ "Why Protesters Targeted Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus'". TIME. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  51. ^ "Finanzierung, Ziele, Aktionen: Die Hintergründe zur Klimaschutzgruppe "Letzte Generation"". swr.online (in German). 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  52. ^ "Wie sich die „Letzte Generation“ neue Klima-Kleber kauft" Focus 2 January 2023
  53. ^ a b "A22 Network". A22 Network. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  54. ^ "Ultima Generazione – Disobbedienza civile nonviolenta". Ultima Generazione (in Italian). 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  55. ^ Funk, Anne (2023-01-02). ""Letzte Generation"-Aktivisten verpassen Gerichtstermin wegen Bali-Urlaub". ProSieben (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  56. ^ "Letzte Generation ortet Doppelmoral nach Kritik an Fernreise". Der Standard (in German). 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  57. ^ a b "Unwort des Jahres 2022: "Klimaterroristen" kriminalisiert". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). 2023-01-10. ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  58. ^ Schaible, Jonas (2021-11-21). "Radikalisierung der Klimabewegung: "Wer Klimaschutz verhindert, schafft die grüne RAF"". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2023-09-21.

External links[edit]

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