Monday 18, September
Climate activists spray paint Brandenburger Tor
On Sunday morning, members of the Last Generation climate activist group caused an uproar when they spray painted the columns of Berlin’s famous Brandenburger Tor.
According to a spokesperson from the activist group, fire extinguishers filled with paint were used to splatter orange and yellow paint across all six of the iconic monument’s columns. Police have detained 14 people on suspicion of criminal property damage.
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— Letzte Generation (@AufstandLastGen) September 17, 2023
🎨🧯Brandenburger Tor mit Farbe besprüht: Es ist Zeit für eine politische Wende.
Weg von fossil – hin zu gerecht!https://t.co/3bBOafLEMM pic.twitter.com/rrcS2O4SCl
Last week, the activist group began a series of ‘Action Weeks’, which would see various large-scale shutdowns across the city. Their goal is for Germany to completely abandon fossil fuels from 2030. The German government is aiming for a climate-neutral economy by 2045, but has missed its climate protection targets for the last two years. As for the group’s continued presence in the Hauptstadt, Last Generation spokesperson Carla Hinrichs announced in a press conference on Friday that the activists “…won’t leave Berlin until the change comes”.
Berlin mayor Kai Wegner has sharply criticised the action, announcing on Sunday: “With these actions, this group is not only damaging the historic Brandenburg Gate, but also our free discourse about the important issues of our time and future.” He further condemned Last Generation, saying that “Those who are serious about climate protection must distance themselves from these actions and this group”.
