German climate activists stage ‘slow walk’ protest in Berlin

BERLIN

German climate activists held “slow walk’ protests in Berlin on Thursday, disrupting traffic on major city roads for several hours.

The Last Generation movement said in a statement that it decided not to stage sit-in actions, and instead carried out marches to slow traffic and draw public attention to the climate crisis.

The protesters carried banners calling for urgent climate action, and demanded putting an end to the use of coal, oil, and natural gas.

"We are in a daunting race against time to be able to prevent the looming climate catastrophe,” said the movement’s spokesperson Lea-Maria Rhein.

“With our new form of protest, we are drawing attention to the fact that we as a society must urgently phase out fossil fuels - by 2030 at the latest,” she added.

Berlin police said they removed protesters from roads in around 20 locations, and authorities urged drivers not to directly intervene with the climate activists.

In recent months, Last Generation activists sparked controversy with radical protests and extreme actions across Germany. They staged sit-in actions, glued their hands to the roads, and most recently sprayed paint on Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to attract media attention.

The movement is heavily criticizing the government for further investing in fossil fuel infrastructure, and endangering the future of humankind. They are demanding a complete exit from fossil fuels by 2030.