Actions by climate activists have long been highly controversial. Groups like the last generation are increasingly attracting the displeasure of many motorists, especially through road blockades. After a recent action, however, the federal government sees a limit crossed.
The federal government has announced legal action against climate activists who removed traffic signs to lift speed limits on motorways at the beginning of the week. “Such acts are no longer a protest, they are simply punishable,” said the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Oliver Luksic from the FDP, the “Rheinische Post”. The Autobahn GmbH des Bundes will therefore report the matter in all cases.
“Simply letting traffic signs disappear shows recklessness towards road users as well as against the law,” said Luksic, who is the head of the supervisory board of the federally owned Autobahn GmbH responsible for Germany’s motorway network.
With the action, climate activists protested against the Federal Ministry of Transport, which rejects a general speed limit on motorways. According to the report, some traffic signs have disappeared and must be replaced. Motorway sections in several federal states were affected.
Climate activists of the “last generation” recently tried to damage the street in front of the Federal Ministry of Transport in Berlin with jackhammers. According to a police spokesman, the action could be stopped, Invalidenstrasse in Berlin-Mitte was not damaged.
When the police officers arrived, the activists were in the process of connecting the jackhammers to power sources. “We are doing an emergency construction site today because yesterday’s talks between Mr. Habeck and Mr. Wissing made it clear that they are not doing their job,” said one of the climate activists from the groups “Last Generation” and “Just Stop Oil”. “That’s why we wanted to tear up the street today to make the emergency visible.”
It is about the demand to introduce a speed limit and reintroduce the 9-euro ticket, the activist explained. “The protests in 2022 were just the beginning.” This year is just the beginning.
Note: According to the activist group Extinction Rebellion, contrary to what was previously reported, the traffic sign action described above is not attributable to the group Last Generation, but to “concerned citizens” in general. The AFP news agency has reformulated the information accordingly.
