German police raid climate activists who blocked traffic
Written by Joey Shekwonuzhibo on May 25, 2023
German police have carried out raids in seven states in a probe into climate campaigners suspected of forming or backing a criminal group because of their controversial activities.
Among those raided was Last Generation spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs, whose door was broken down by armed police while she was in bed, the group said.
For months Last Generation has disrupted traffic in German cities with Chancellor Olaf Scholz has condemned their campaign as completely crazy.
For weeks in Germany there has been a ferocious culture war about whether Last Generation can be legally defined as a criminal organisation.
Conservative Members of Parliament have demanded tougher penalties including jail sentences, while left-wingers have warned of a dangerous authoritarian clampdown.
Some 170 police took part in yesterday’s raids on flats and other buildings in Berlin, Bavaria, Dresden, Hamburg and elsewhere, shutting down the group’s website and freezing two accounts.
