BERLIN – German climate activists sprayed orange paint on Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Sunday morning to urge the German government to take more urgent action against climate change.
Members of the Last Generation group sprayed paint-filled fire extinguishers on the six columns of the popular monument in the German capital.
The group’s priorities include getting Germany off all fossil fuels by 2030 and taking near-term measures, including imposing a blanket speed limit of 62 mph on motorways, to reduce emissions more quickly.
“The protest makes it clear: it is time for political change,” the group said in a statement. “Away from fossil fuels, towards justice.”
Police cordoned off the area around the Brandenburg Gate and confirmed that they arrested 14 activists affiliated with Last Generation.
The group best known for its protests in which activists stick to roads and block traffic plays a provocative and polarizing role in German politics and society.
Police arrest activists who allegedly vandalized the monument.REUTERS/Swantje Stein
A worker cleaning the paint from one of the columns. Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner condemned the group’s actions and said their tactics go beyond legitimate forms of protest.
“With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse on the important issues of our time and future,” he told the German news agency dpa.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn